Missionary  Heroes 

OF  THE 

Lutheran  Church 


NOV  6  1911   *j 


BV  2540  .W75  1911 
Wolf,  Luther  Benaiah,  1857- 
Missionary  heroes  of  the 
Lutheran  church 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 

OF  THE 

LUTHERAN  CHURCH 


Edited  by 

L.  B.  WOLF,  D.  D. 

Twenty-four  years  a  missionary  in  India,  and  General  Secretary 

of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  Evangrelical 

Lutheran  Church  (General  Synod) 

Author  "After  Fifty  Years  in  India" 


;*      NOV   6  1911 


PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 

THE  LUTHERAN  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY 


Copyright,  191 1 

BY 

THE  LUTHERAN  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY 


DEDICATION 

To   THE 

NoBi^E  Band  of  Lutheran  Missionaries 

IN  India  and  Africa, 

Among  Whom  are  My  Best  Friends, 

Whose  Labors  I  have  Shared 

AND  IN 

Whose  Success  I  Constanti<y  Rejoice 

L.  B.  W. 


FOREWORD 

These  sketches  attempt  to  give  in  outhne  the 
work  of  the  mission  and  the  missionaries  in  con- 
nection with  the  mission.  In  the  very  nature  of 
the  case  they  are  at  best  very  imperfect,  though  as 
far  as  they  go,  accurate  accounts  of  the  men  and 
their  work.  The  editor  has  no  excuse  to  offer  for 
preparing  another  book  in  this  age  of  books  on  all 
sorts  of  missionary  topics,  other  than  that  he  feels 
our  Lutheran  worthies  and  the  rich  missionary 
heritage  of  Germany  and  Scandinavia  are  not 
known  as  well  as  they  deserve  to  be  among  our 
English-speaking  young  people,  and  that  there  has 
been  a  demand  for  such  sketches  on  the  part  of 
those  who  have  been  following  the  literature  pre- 
pared by  the  Young  People's  Missionary  Move- 
ment. The  question  is  often  raised,  Has  our 
Lutheran  Church  produced  no  missionary  worthies 
that  rank  with  those  of  other  Churches  ?  This  little 
book  is  an  humble  attempt  to  satisfy  the  growing 
demand  and  to  answer  the  question.  The  editor  is 
sure  that  the  sketches  of  Ziegenbalg  and  Schwartz 
must  take  rank  among  the  first  heroes  in  mission- 
ary work  in  the  great  field,  and  that  the  more  dis- 
tinctly local  and  denominational  heroes,  Heyer, 
Officer,  Harpster  and  Day,  will  show  that  devotion 
has  found  as  fruitful  soil  in  these  later  days  as  any- 
where else  and  in  any  age  of  the  Church.  The 
sketches  of  Adam  D.  Rowe  and  Samuel  Kinsinger 


vi  FOREWORD 

must  appeal  to  all  young  men  who  are  struggling 
to  make  the  most  of  their  lives  for  God  and  their 
fellow-men. 

The  devotion  and  loyalty  of  the  Church  of  the 
Reformation  as  it  apprehended  the  sweep  of  God's 
command  in  Christ  Jesus  and  set  about  fulfilling  it, 
once  it  realized  its  True  Life  in  Christ  apart  from 
Rome,  must  ever  be  an  impressive  lesson  for  these 
and  all  times,  and  make  a  strong  appeal,  especially 
in  these  strenuous  days  when  "movements"  are 
on  foot  to  reach  more  adequately  with  Christ's 
message  the  nations,  and  perform  the  * '  Unfinished 
Task"  to  which  Christ  Jesus  calls  His  Church, 

The  Editor. 

Baltimore,  Md., 
Holy  Week,  ign. 


CONTENTS 

SKETCH  PAGE 

I.     Lutheran   Missions   and    Missionaries 

Before  Carey  (from  1555  to  iSoo)  ...       i 

By  the  Editor 

II.    The  American  Beginnings  in  the  Gen- 

ERAi,  Synod 17 

By  the  Editor 

III.  Bartholomew  Ziegenbalg 37 

The  First  Protestant  Missionary  to  the  Gentiles 
By  John  Aberly,  D.  D. 

IV.  Christian  Frederick  Schwartz    ....     67 

By  Charles  E.  Hay,  D.  D. 

V.    John  Christian  Frederick  Heyer    ...     91 

Founder  of  the  Guntur  Mission 
By  the  Editor 

VI.    Morris  Officer 117 

Founder  of  the  Muhlenberg  Mission 
By  W.  W.  Criley,  D.  D. 

VII.    John  Henry  Harpster 145 

By  the  Editor 

VIII.     Adam  D.  Rowe 171 

"  First  Children's  Missionary  " 
By  Jacob  A.  Clutz,  D.  D. 

IX.     David  A.  Day 197 

Hero  of  West  Coast,  Africa 

By  George  Scholl,  D.  D. 

X.    Samuel  Christian  Kinsinger 221 

By  Rev.  E.  G.  Howard 

Appendices 247 

1.  Statistics    of    Lutheran    Missions    in 

India 

2.  Dr.    Lenker's    Tables    (with   permis- 

sion),   Evangelical    Lutheran   Mis- 
sionary Societies  in  World,  1910 
vii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Luther  Monument  at  Worms Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

Guntur  Hospital 3 

All-India  Lutheran  Missionary  Conference,  Guntur, 

Januar}',   1908 9 

Guntur  Missionaries 25 

Watts  Memorial  College  Building 33 

Bartholomew  Ziegenbalg 39 

New  Jerusalem  Church,  Tranquebar 45 

A  Brahman  Convert 53 

Pastors  and  Church  Council,  St.  Matthew's,  Guntur.  61 

Christian  Frederick  Schwartz 69 

Street  Preaching  Before  a  Hindu  Temple 73 

Mohammedans  at  Prayer 81 

John  Christian  Frederick  Heyer 93 

Father  Heyer  Memorial 97 

St.  Matthew's  Church  ("  Stork  Memorial"),  Guntur  105 

Horning  Memorial 113 

Morris  Officer 119 

Bird's-eye  View  of  Muhlenberg  Mission,  Africa 129 

John  Henry  Harpster 147 

Committee  of  All-India  Lutheran  Conference,  Gun- 
tur, January,  1908 153 

Harvest  Home  Festival 161 

Officers  and  Teachers,  St.  Matthew's  Sunday  School, 

Guntur 169 

Adam  D.  Rowe 173 

"  Altoona  " — Houseboat 177 

Auditing  Committee,  Guntur  Mission 1S5 

Pastor  Paravalli  Abraham 193 

David  A.  Day 199 

Boys'  Dormitory,  Muhlenberg  Mission,  Africa 209 

Samuel  Christian  Kinsinger 223 

Kinsinger  Memorial 229 

St.  Paul's  Church,  Narasarowpet 235 

Orphanage  Bungalow,  Guntur 241 

viii 


LUTHERAN  MISSIONS 
AND  MISSIONARIES  BEFORE  CAREY 


Missionary  Heroes  of  the 
Lutheran  Church 


LUTHERAN    MISSIONS 
AND    MISSIONARIES  BEFORE  CAREY 

From  1555  to  1800 

by  l.  b.  wolf,  d.d. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  a 
new  spirit  began  to  manifest  itself  in  Christianity. 
The  Reformation  of  the  Church  in  "head  and 
members"  was  everywhere  attempted.  It  cul- 
minated in  the  German  Reformation  in  the  per- 
son of  Martin  Luther,  and  became  the  most 
potent  fact  of  human  history  since  the  Advent  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

A  revived  Christianity,  a  reformed  Church,  an  New  spirit 
independent  life  from  the  Roman  head,  were 
mighty  steps  during  those  early  days  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  but  they  were  taken  with  utter 
reliance  on  God  and  absolute  dependence  on  His 
Word.  What  the  Reformation  did  in  its  spir- 
itual, intellectual  and  moral  awakening  for  the 
Church,  it  also  accomplished  for  its  pre-eminent 
characteristic,  its  missionary  development.  It 
3 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Luther 


First 
missionaries 


brought  the  Church  back  to  its  early  work — 
largely  forsaken — to  manifest  Christ  and  His 
Gospel  to  all  people.  Indirectly  it  aroused  the 
Romish  Church  to  regain  among  the  heathen  her 
lost  ground  at  home. 

Hence,  as  was  to  be  expected,  Lutheran  For- 
eign Missions  are  dated  from  the  beginning  of 
Lutheranism,  and  as  Herzog's  Encyclopedia 
shows — "Luther  was  ever  reminding  his  hearers 
of  the  distress  of  the  heathen  and  Turks,  and 
earnestly  urging  them  to  pray  in  their  behalf  and 
to  send  our  missionaries  to  them."  His  friends, 
the  princes  and  followers,  early  began  the  work 
to  restore  to  the  Church  the  right  place  which  the 
business  of  carrying  the  Gospel  to  those  in  dark- 
ness should  occupy.  In  the  midst  of  labors  many 
and  contentions  with  Romish  powers,  Luther 
never  failed  to  emphasize  the  foundation-prin- 
ciples which  underlie  the  foreign  missionary 
enterprise. 

But  correct  teaching  must  find  expression  in 
the  life  of  the  Church.  Evangelical  truth  works 
out  in  the  life,  and  twenty-five  years  after  the 
great  Diet  at  Augsburg  was  held  and  Luther  and 
his  coadjutors  had  witnessed  so  good  a  confes- 
sion, the  first  work  for  those  outside  of  Germany 
was  commenced  by  Primus  Truher,  in  the  Slavic 
tongue,  among  the  Croats  and  Wends.  The 
translation  of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel,  the  Augs- 
burg Confession  and  other  books  followed,  thus 
starting  what  was  manifestly  the  right  method  of 
evangelization.    It  was  the  evident  plan  of  those 


LUTHERAN  MISSIONARIES  BEFORE  CAREY    5 

who  did  this  work,  to  continue  till  the  Turk  was 
reached  and  the  Gospel  offered  to  him. 

The  Reformation  was  carried  into  Sweden,  and 
here  a  field  was  opened  which  the  Church  at 
once  entered,  among  the  Lapps,  in  the  year  1559, 
in  the  reign  of  Gustavus  Vasa.  Although  no 
great  success  followed  the  early  efforts,  yet  in 
the  reign  of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  fifty  years  later, 
considerable  progress  had  been  made  and  a  Chris- 
tian literature  was  the  fruit  of  the  efforts  of  the 
early  missionaries  in  the  Lapp  language,  with 
schools  established  and  theological  training  for 
Christian  ministers  commenced. 

This  work  was  most  earnestly  pushed  forward 
by  friends  of  the  cause  among  whom  were  num- 
bered the  queen,  and  was  also  carried  into  Fin- 
land with  considerable  success  (1648),  thus  ex- 
plaining the  fact  that  these  northern  lands  are 
so  largely  Protestant  and  Lutheran  to-day,  with 
vigorous  foreign  missionary  societies. 

In  1637  the  Swedish  Church  was  led,  through  Fi^t 
the  founding  of  "New  Sweden"  on  the  banks  of  American 
the  Delaware,  to  send  with  the  colonists,  minis- 
ters. These  godly  men  saw  the  spiritual  destitu- 
tion of  the  Indians,  and,  foremost  among  them. 
Rev.  John  Campanius,  became  deeply  interested 
in  their  spiritual  welfare,  learning  their  language 
and  translating  Luther's  Small  Catechism  in  the 
Indian  dialect.  Large  sums  of  money  were 
handed  over  to  the  Swedish  king  for  prosecuting 
this  work,  by  bequest,  and  successful  operations 
were  inaugurated  and  the  people  gathered  into  a 


6  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

church,  which  showed  such  Ufe  "as  to  call  forth 
praise  and  thanks  to  God  for  His  mercy." 
First  Let  it  also  be  noted  that  the  Danish  Church 

missionary        organized  missions  in   1672,  in  connection  with 

society  **  .  ,      .     '     ' 

the  first  Foreign  Mission  Association  of  Ernst 
Von  Wels  and  her  colonial  possessions  in  the 
new  world. 

A  serious  setback  to  all  progress  both  within 
and  without  the  Church  was  experienced  in  the 
Thirty  Years'  War.  Yet  a  bright  spot  in  this  sad 
time  is  found  in  the  attempt  to  organize  the  first 
foreign  missionary  society  of  Protestantism,  in 
1664.  Among  its  supporters  and  friends  none 
were  more  earnest  than  Justinian  Ernst  Von 
Wels,  an  Austrian  nobleman.  He  published  two 
ringing  missionary  letters  to  the  Christians  of  the 
Augsburg  Confession,  and  raised  the  following 
questions : 

1.  Is  it  right  that  Evangelical  Christians 
should  keep  the  Gospel  to  themselves  and  not 
seek  to  spread  it  abroad  ? 

2.  Is  it  right  to  educate  so  many  men  in  theol- 
ogy and  not  give  them  the  opportunity  to  go 
abroad  ? 

3.  Is  it  right  to  expend  so  much  on  dress,  high 
living,  useless  amusements,  and  expensive  fash- 
ions, and  yet  hitherto  have  never  thought  of  any 
means  for  spreading  the  Gospel? 

He  was  opposed  by  the  theologians  of  his  day, 
but  nothing  daunted  he  formed  the  first  foreign 
missionary  school  for  studying  oriental  languages, 
methods  of  work  and  other  allied  subjects.     He 


LUTHERAN  MISSIONARIES  BEFORE  CAREY     7 

failed  also  in  this,  but  such  was  his  personal  zeal 
that  he  established  a  mission  in  Dutch  Guiana, 
went  out  as  a  missionary  himself,  and  became  the 
first  foreign  missionary  "to  cross  the  high  seas," 
and  died  a  martyr  to  the  cause. 

While  this  zealous  friend  of  the  cause  did  not 
get  the  support  of  the  men  at  home  which  was 
deserved,  yet  the  missionary  spirit  was  alive  as 
is  shown  by  the  interest  of  the  philosopher  Lieb- 
nitz,  whose  plans  for  evangelization  included 
China ;  by  the  work  of  Michal  Hawemann,  whose 
interest  in  Asia  and  Africa  commercially  was 
not  so  great  as  to  make  him  forget  that  the  first 
duty  to  those  lands  was  to  lift  them  "out  of 
heathenish  darkness";  by  Dannhauer,  whose  en- 
lightened advocacy  led  him  to  found  schools  and 
a  seminary  to  prepare  men  "to  win  not  only  the 
wild  tribes  but  the  Turks  and  Jews  also" ;  not  to 
mention  Scriver,  Spener  and  Von  Seckendorf, 
all  of  whom  during  the  seventeenth  century  la- 
bored to  keep  the  missionary  fires  burning  on  the 
Church's  altar.  Nor  should  w^e  forget  that  even 
so-called  failure,  such  as  the  early  efforts  in 
India  in  1620- 1670,  connected  with  the  Danish 
East  India  Company,  the  sad  and  disgraceful 
career  of  the  so-called  "Danish  Apostle,"  Jacob 
Worm  in  Tranquebar,  the  work  of  the  orientalist, 
John  Wansleb,  sent  out  by  Duke  Ernst  of  Gotha, 
must  be  interpreted  as  revealing  the  spirit  of  mis- 
sions even  though  the  unfaithfulness  of  the 
chosen  missionaries  put  out  the  flame  of  mission- 
ary zeal,  which  was  burning  in  many  hearts. 


8  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

First  African         Nor  Can  we  overlook  the  noble  work  started 
^""^  by  Peter  Heilig  and  his  associate  jurists  in  Lu- 

beck,  through  whose  missionary  society  the  Gos- 
pel was  carried  to  Abyssinia  and  the  New 
Testament  translated  into  the  Amharic  tongue ; 
nor  of  the  mission  to  Persia  about  the  same  time. 
The  whole  movement  shows  that  the  Lutheran 
Church  was  willing  and  ready  to  carry  the  Gospel 
to  America,  Africa,  Asia — to  the  world  without 
Christ,  and  made  from  the  beginning  the  attempt, 
and  formed  plans  to  send  out  bands  of  men  to 
undertake  the  mighty  task. 

This  brings  us  to  the  beginning  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  which  was  to  witness  new 
achievements  and  set  the  crown  on  the  brow  of 
the  Lutheran  Church.  Dead  formalism — conten- 
tions within  the  Church,  and  the  spirit  of  in- 
difference, received  their  awakening  and  rebuke 
in  the  pietistic  wave  which  was  soon  to  beat  down 
all  opposition  and  call  the  Church  back  to  the 
work  of  her  risen  Lord. 
Halle  The  Halle  University  became  the  center  of  the 

University  ^^^^  church  life,  and  with  it  the  start  of  the  mis- 
sionary enterprise  that  was  to  embrace  the  world 
in  its  scope.  America  and  the  east  were  to  be 
alike  blessed.  The  Church  baptized  with  the 
spirit  of  missions  pushes  out  to  redeem  and  up- 
lift, to  help  and  enlighten  all. 

During  the  one  hundred  years  following  1705, 
the  Lutheran  Church  performed  a  noble  service 
which  ought  to  be  a  mighty  inspiration  to  her  in 
these  times,  her  joy  and  crown  in  all  ages.     She 


LUTHERAN  MISSIONARIES  BEFORE  CAREY     9 

witnessed  to  her  faith  in  India  and  Greenland, 
and  set  herself  at  work  to  gather  her  children 
into  churches  in  North  America,  surpassing  all 
other  Protestant  bodies  in  her  devotion,  labors 
and  missionary  spirit  for  almost  one  hundred 
years. 

The  Danish  Church  occupied,  through  her  The  Danish 
colonial  possessions,  a  position  of  advantage  in  Church 
world  evangelization.  In  the  eighteenth  century 
her  missionaiy  work  places  her  in  the  forefront 
of  the  effort  to  move  out  into  the  enshrouded 
night  of  her  heathen  colonial  possessions.  How 
early  the  Church  was  possessed  of  this  conviction 
it  is  hard  to  say,  but  while  King  Frederick  was 
yet  prince,  he  is  said  to  have  expressed  surprise 
at  the  Church's  not  having  commenced  operations 
in  heathen  lands  in  which  they  had  colonies.  He 
urged  his  Court  Chaplains  to  begin  the  undertak- 
ing, but  they  were  indifferent.  In  1704,  Court 
Chaplain  Francis  Julius  Leutkens,  who  was  cer- 
tainly raised  up  of  God,  a  friend  of  Spener, 
preached  on  the  duty  of  the  king  to  mission  work. 
His  colleagues  opposed  the  movement,  and  ex- 
cused themselves  by  saying  that  no  missionaries 
could  be  found  to  start  the  movement. 

But  God  was  preparing  the  way  and  the  man.  Bartholo- 
The  home  leadership  was  to  be  Danish :  the  for-  ™^T  ?'^' 

'^  genbalg 

eign  missionaries  were  to  be  German.  Bartholo- 
mew Ziegenbalg  was  a  student  at  Halle  at  this 
time.  How  marvelously  God  led  in  this  mission 
movement  of  the  eighteenth  century !  Broken  in 
health  it  looks  as  though  he  could  not  even  com- 


10  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

plete  his  theological  studies.  He,  however,  re- 
covered sufficiently  to  return  to  work.  Passing 
through  Berlin  he  stopped,  and  there  God  brought 
together  the  home  and  the  foreign  arms  of  the 
Coy^t  movement.     Court   Chaplain   Leutkens   was   in 

Chaplain  Berlin,  sent  thither  to  find  missionaries  by  the 

king.  The  men  met.  The  burden  of  their 
thought  was  evident,  for  when  they  separated, 
the  one  to  his  high  office  at  the  Court  of  Denmark 
and  the  other  to  his  studies  in  Halle,  the  great 
determination  of  the  former  to  carry  out  plans 
for  the  establishment  of  mission  work  as  soon 
as  missionaries  were  available,  became  an  accom- 
plished fact,  and  the  student  had  responded  to 
the  chaplain,  and  the  missionary  work  for  India 
and  her  redemption  was  commenced — the  first 
missionary  was  found. 

Born  in  Pulnitz,  Germany,  June  24th,  1683,  he 
and  his  fellow-laborer,  Pliitschau,  were  com- 
missioned as  missionaries  to  India,  ordained  on 
November  nth,  1705,  in  the  capital  city  of 
Copenhagen,  and  in  the  following  month  set  sail 
in  the  ship  "Sophia  Hedwig"  for  the  Danish  East 
Indies,  landing  in  Tranquebar,  July  loth,  1706. 
We  cannot  follow  these  pioneers  in  their  work. 
We  can  only  point  out  that  they,  during  the  years 
of  their  service  in  India,  laid  down  the  plans  of 
mission  work  which  all  subsequent  missionaries 
have  found  most  helpful.  These  were  times,  not 
only  of  small  things  in  missions,  but  fierce  oppo- 
sition and  bitter  persecution  as  well.  But  nothing 
daunted,  the  Danish  mission  of  those  early  times 


IvUTHERAN  MISSIONARIES  BEFORE  CAREY     11 

wrought  marvels.  These  missionaries  set  to  work 
to  master  the  language,  wrote  grammars  and 
dictionaries,  baptized  the  first  Protestant  con- 
verts, within  the  first  year,  and  on  August  14th, 
1707,  dedicated  the  first  Protestant  Church,  nam- 
ing it  the  "New  Jerusalem"  Church.  They  began  First  mission 
schools,  devoted  much  attention  to  the  instruc-  ^hurch  m 

India 

tion  of  the  young,  translated  mto  the  Tamil 
tongue  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  a  Christian  literature,  by  the  translation 
of  Luther's  Catechisms  and  the  publication  of  a 
hymn-book  and  tracts.  They  extended  their  work 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  Danish  colony,  and 
toured  throughout  South  India  as  far  north  as 
Madras,  distributing  Christian  books  and  tracts 
and  preaching  wherever  they  went. 

The  missionaries  of  this  first  venture  into  the 
east  did  a  wonderful  work.  It  is  hard  to  realize 
it,  at  this  late  day.  Conditions  were  so  different 
then  from  the  present.  But  it  is  not  too  much  to 
say  that  Ziegenbalg  and  his  colaborers,  to  the 
year  1837,  when  the  last  Halle-Danish  missionary 
died,  laid  the  foundation  for  the  modern  mission- 
ary movement  and  led  the  way  to  India  and  to 
the  east,  of  all  those  who  have  magnified  their 
Lord  and  King  in  service  and  sacrifice  since  their 
day. 

The  connection  of  these  missionaries  was  most  Schwartz 
intimate  with  the  English  Church  Societies,  and 
Schwartz  and  Kohlhoff  in  1758,  though  commis- 
sioned by  the  Danish  authorities,  became  mis- 
sionaries of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of 


12  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

Christian  Knowledge,  with  their  center  of  work 
at  TrichinopoH  and  Tan j ore.  Here  Schwartz 
worked  and  in  the  old  church  at  TrichinopoH,  his 
baptismal  records  are  still  shown  visitors.  In 
Tanjore  in  1798,  February  23d,  he  passed  on  to 
be  with  his  Lord,  and  was  followed  to  his  grave 
by  Hindus  and  Christians. 
Later  history  Xhe  Danish  Society  fell  on  hard  times,  and 
their  work  in  Tranquebar  languished.  Rational- 
ism abounded  and  cut  the  nerve  of  missions.  The 
work  of  this  society  passed  over  into  other  soci- 
eties, English  and  German,  and  the  last  mission- 
ary— Kammerer — died  in  1837. 

What  was  left  of  this  work  which  had  extended 
from  1706  to  1837,  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Missionary  Society  of 
Dresden,  whose  first  missionary,  Cordes,  married 
the  daughter  of  the  last  missionary  of  the  Danish 
Society. 

The  results  are  not  easily  tabulated  of  this  early 
work.  The  foundation  of  a  Christian  literature 
was  laid.  Bible  translation  was  started  and  suc- 
cessfully done  in  the  vernaculars  of  South  India, 
in  Tamil,  Telugu  and  Hindustani.  Schools  and 
theological  seminaries  were  commenced,  and 
every  work  pushed  in  all  directions.  Schwartz 
and  his  colaborers  in  TrichinopoH  and  Tanjore, 
met  with  considerable  success,  and  more  than  six 
thousand  converts  were  gathered  as  the  fruit  of 
their  labors.  A  proper  start  was  made  and  the 
true  place  of  Christian  nurture  was  maintained. 


LUTHERAN  MISSIONARIES  BEFORE  CAREY     13 

THE   MISSIONARY   WORK  OF  THE   NORWEGIAN    AND 
SWEDISH    LUTHERAN    CHURCH 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  splen- 
did work  of  the  Swedish  missionaries  among  the 
Lapps,  and  the  greater  effort  in  Greenland  and 
Iceland  remains  yet  to  be  noted.  The  heathen 
Icelanders  in  the  sixteenth  century  visited 
Europe,  came  under  the  influence  of  the  Refor- 
mation movement  and  Luther's  teaching,  and  re- 
turning to  their  own  land,  established  churches, 
cathedrals  and  Christian  schools,  translated  the 
Bible,  laid  the  foundation  of  one  of  the  best  and 
most  enlightened  civilizations  of  our  day. 

Early  in  the  seventeenth  century  mission  work  Hans  Egede 
was  begun  in  Greenland.  There  is  reference  to 
work  done  in  this  land  through  Norwegian  influ- 
ence in  the  tenth  and  eleventh  centuries,  in  the 
days  of  King  Eric.  But  the  real  movement  of 
Christianity  was  begun  with  Hans  Egede,  a 
Norwegian  born  three  years  after  Ziegenbalg, 
January  31st,  1686.  He  early  determined  that  he 
should  preach  the  Gospel  in  Greenland,  among 
his  then  supposed  countrymen.  Educated  in  the 
theological  schools  of  his  times,  the  way  was  not 
opened  and  he  took  up  work  in  Norway,  but 
could  not  quiet  the  call  he  had  received  to  preach 
in  the  regions  beyond. 

Without  resources,  with  little  encouragement, 
he  laid  his  plan  for  mission  work  before  the 
church  authorities  at  Copenhagen,  and  at  length 
they   approved   his   scheme,    furnished   him   the 


14  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

necessary  means,  and  on  May  3d,  1721,  almost 
fourteen  years  after  Ziengenbalg  began  and  two 
years  after  he  had  sealed  his  missionary  devotion 
with  his  life  along  the  Bay  of  Bengal  in  India, 
sailed  for  Greenland  under  extraordinary  diffi- 
culties. After  searching  for  a  landing  place, 
which  seemed  out  of  the  question,  he  at  length 
determined  to  land  on  an  island  two  miles  from 
the  mainland,  which  he  called  the  "Island  of 
"Island  of  Hope."  Soon  the  people  came  to  him.  He  saw 
their  misery  and  wretchedness,  and  though  no 
traces  of  any  Norwegian  ancestry  could  be  found, 
he  determined  to  remain  among  them  and  give 
them  the  Gospel. 

Surely  no  field  was  more  forbidding.  He 
had  to  persuade  the  authorities  at  home  to  per- 
mit him  to  remain.  They  did  not  want  him  to 
work  for  this  people,  who  belonged  to  another 
nation.  It  required  no  little  faith  for  him  to  meet 
the  difficulties  of  this  Arctic  field.  Barbarous 
and  cruel,  filthy  and  vicious,  ignorant  and  un- 
receptive  as  the  very  icebergs,  the  missionary 
found  a  situation  which  none  but  the  stoutest 
heart  and  deepest  devotion  could  have  faced. 
Well  did  he  earn  the  name  "Greenland's  Apostle." 
His  life  in  Greenland  reads  like  the  Acts  of  St. 
Paul — only  with  this  difference — that  the  condi- 
tions faced  by  Egede  were  more  severe  and  trying 
than  those  under  which  the  great  apostle  labored. 
For  fifteen  years  under  the  most  trying  circum- 
stances, he  worked  on,  saw  his  converts  die  by  the 
small-pox,  his  devoted  wife  taken  from  him,  and 


LUTHERAN  MISSIONARIES  BEFORE  CAREY     15 

a    work    fairly   begun    wiped   out   by   an   awful 
scourge. 

Nothing  daunted,  he  returned  to  his  native  Later  life 
land,  to  arouse  interest  and  raise  up  supporters. 
He  began  a  seminary  in  Sweden  to  prepare  mis- 
sionaries, and  for  ten  years  held  the  double  posi- 
tion of  teacher  in  the  seminary  and  superin- 
tendent of  the  mission.  Differences  arising,  he 
resigned  his  work  and  spent  the  closing  days  of 
his  life  in  retirement,  dying  November  5th,  1758, 
eight  years  after  the  renowned  Missionary 
Schwartz  had  entered  on  his  work  in  India. 

The  Greenland  Mission  continued  under  his 
son,  Paul,  and  the  land  has  become  Christian. 
With  the  early  efforts,  together  with  those  of  the 
noble  Moravian  missionaries,  then  and  of  later 
times,  Christ  came  to  Greenland. 

The  century  before  the  great  awakening  has  The  work  of 
been  reviewed.  The  beginnings,  hard  and  toil-  ^  '^^"^"'■y 
some,  were  made  amid  sacrifice  and  devotion  of 
the  highest  type.  We  have  seen  how  the  work 
spread.  How  in  England  and  Germany  all  the 
Protestant  Churches  became  aroused  to  their 
responsibility.  The  eighteenth  century  closed 
with  the  noble  Carey  in  India ;  the  great  English 
Missionary  Societies  started,  or  about  to  start ; 
and  the  seed  spreading  among  all  Protestant 
bodies.  The  first  stage  is  passed.  God  led  in 
those  early  years.  Men  courageously  followed, 
and  the  work  of  the  ages  and  the  fulfillment  of 
the  purpose  of  Christ's  life  is  beginning  to  be 
slowly  realized.    To  God  be  all  the  glory.    Amen. 


THE  AMERICAN  BEGINNINGS 


THE  AMERICAN  BEGINNINGS 

In  the  General  Synod 

by  l.  b.  wolf,  d.d. 

.  The  spirit  of  the  Reformation,  German  in  its 
original  home,  was  borne  across  to  the  new  world. 
We  have  seen  it  planting  itself  on  the  banks  of 
the  Delaware.  Following  in  this  path,  from  all 
Lutheran  lands,  the  seeds  of  missionary  zeal  were 
transplanted  into  American  soil.  An  abundant 
harvest  has  been  realized.  A  stupendous  task  The  Church 
confronted  the  Church  during  those  early  years  '"  ^^^  ^^"^ 
in  the  new  world.  It  did  not  seem  possible  to 
do  anything  more  than  plant  the  Church.  Out 
from  Halle  University  came  the  noble  pioneers 
who  laid  the  foundations  for  the  American  Luth- 
eran Church.  A  greater  struggle,  the  end  of 
which  has  not  yet  been  reached,  than  the  trans- 
planting of  our  Church  from  the  Fatherland  and 
of  the  continent,  its  vastness  and  complex  prob- 
lems, cannot  be  found  anywhere  in  the  field  of 
church  history.  It  can  only  be  appreciated  by 
those  who  have  been  watching  the  whole  move- 
ment. 

That  in  the  midst  and  in  face  of  such  a  mighty  The  Foreign 
task  she  has  found  time,  strength  and  energy  to  ^\'^^f°" 
put   into   the   great    foreign    movement,    speaks  new  world 
volumes  for  the  missionary  spirit  which  has  ever 
19 


20  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

characterized  her  in  the  past.  She  holds  firmly 
to  the  Word  and  its  commands  are  clear.  She 
finds  work  on  every  hand,  yet  must  not  be  dis- 
obedient to  the  last  great  command.  No  other 
work  can  excuse  her  from  undertaking  her  share 
of  world-evangelization. 

As  soon  as  the  American  Church  began  to  ex- 
press herself  in  an  organic  way,  she  recognized 
among  her  first  utterance,  the  call  of  God  through 
His  Son,  to  world-wide  conquest.  The  awaken- 
ing of  the  missionary  spirit  was  seen  in  the  first 
meeting  of  the  General  Synod  in  1820,  in  the 
resolution,  "to  organize  a  missionary  institute." 
Individual  congregations  contributed  in  those 
early  years  to  the  work  of  Foreign  Missions, 
through  the  interdenominational  society — the 
American  Board,  and  it  may  be  safely  asserted 
that  our  churches  in  the  cities  were  in  line  with 
that  early  movement  which  began  in  1810. 
Organized  The  first  formal  action,  looking  toward  an  or- 

effort  ganization,  dates  back  to  1833,  at  the  Baltimore 

Convention  of  the  General  Synod,  when  a  resolu- 
tion was  passed,  a  committee  appointed  to  circu- 
late missionary  intelligence,  and  to  urge  the  hold- 
ing of  a  missionary  conference  at  the  next 
meeting  of  the  Synod,  at  which  a  sermon  was  to 
be  preached  on  Foreign  Missions.  In  1835,  an 
eloquent  report  was  made  by  the  Committee  ap- 
pointed, but  matters  got  no  further  than  to  urge 
a  Missionary  Conference  at  Mechanicsburg,  Pa., 
the  next  year.  The  work  of  Gutzlaff  in  China 
and  Rhenius  in  India  was  spoken  of  in  the  report, 


THE  AMERICAN  BEGINNINGS  21 

and  help  was  urged  for  these  fields.  It  was  to 
organize  a  missionary  society  in  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America. 

But  the  final  steps  %vere  taken  at  Mechanics- 
burg  and  a  Central  Missionary  Society  formed 
whose  object  was:  "To  send  the  Gospel  of  the 
Son  of  God  to  the  destitute  portions  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America  by  means  of  missions ;  to  assist  for  a 
season  such  congregations  as  are  not  able  to  sup- 
port the  Gospel ;  and  ultimately  to  co-operate  in 
sending  it  to  the  heathen  world." 

The  General  Synod  effected  the  organization   Hagers- 
at  Hagerstown   (1837),  and  during  the  time  of  town,  1837 
that  meeting  in  accordance  with  the  Committee's 
recommendation,  on  May  30th,  was  organized  the 
German   Foreign   Missionary   Society,   with  the 
hope  of  uniting  all  Germans,  Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed,  in    foreign    work.      As    the   Reformed 
Church  declined,  at  the  meeting  of  the  General 
Synod  two  years  later,   1839,  the  name  of  the 
Society  was  changed  to  "The  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  in 
the  L^nited  States  of  America."    In  the  spring  of 
1840,  after  considerable  negotiation,  the  Rev.  C. 
F.  Heyer  was  appointed  by  the  Executive  Com-  Heyer  first 
mittee  of  this  Society  to  go  to  India  as  its  first  L^her^ 
missionary.     It  was  resolved  by  the  Executive  foreign 
Committee  to  transact  its  business  through  the  ™ssionarjr 
American  Board,  though  it  was  to  maintain  as 
an    institution    its    distinct   Lutheran    character. 


22 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Gunn  first 
General 
Synod  Luth- 
eran foreign 
missionary 


A  basis  of  union  was  proposed.  Strong  opposi- 
tion to  the  union  soon  developed.  Fearing  its 
adoption  by  the  bodies  and  compHcations  arising 
therefrom  in  the  work,  JMissionary  Heyer  re- 
signed. It  was  while  these  overtures  looking 
toward  union  were  being  made,  that  the  old 
mother  Synod,  which  had  maintained  a  separate 
missionary  organization,  determined  to  send  out 
Mr.  Heyer,  who  sailed  from  Boston,  October 
14th,  1841,  the  first  missionary  sent  out  to  the 
heathen  world  by  the  American  Lutheran  Church. 

The  General  Synod's  efforts  at  union  having 
failed,  through  no  fault  of  theirs,  for  a  time  there 
was  a  distinct  backset  to  the  work.  However,  at 
the  meeting  of  the  General  Synod  in  Baltimore, 
1843,  ^  yc^i*  after  Father  Heyer  landed  in  India, 
the  Executive  Committee  was  empowered  to  "ap- 
point and  send  out  a  missionary  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, and,  if  expedient,  to  co-operate  with  the 
Missionary  Society  of  the  Synod  of  Pennsyl- 
vania," and  with  their  missionary  in  India.  In 
May,  1843,  the  Rev.  Walter  Gunn  was  appointed, 
and  in  June,  1844,  he  joined  Mr.  Heyer  in  India. 
In  1846  Heyer  was  forced  by  ill  health  to  return 
to  America,  and  circumstances  changing  at  home 
on  his  return,  he  was  sent  out  by  the  General 
Synod  and  supported  by  the  Pennsylvania  Synod. 

In  1850,  the  Executive  Committee  assumed  the 
support  and  work  of  the  North  German  Mission- 
ary Society,  which  was  in  financial  straits,  due  to 
disturbed  political  conditions  in  Germany.  This 
added  the  Rajahmundry  to  the  Guntur  Field,  and 


THE  AMKRICAN  BEGINNINGS  23 

the  Rev.  Messrs.  Valett  and  Heise  became  mis- 
sionaries of  the  General  Synod.  The  field  then 
embraced  the  rich  deltas  of  the  Godavery  and 
Krishna  Rivers. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  General  Synod  in  1855, 
the  work  of  the  Missionary  Society  for  eighteen 
years  was  reviewed,  and  the  whole  amount  of  the 
receipts  was  put  down  at  $38,220.00.  At  the 
anniversary  $500.00  was  contributed  to  the  cause 
on  a  strong  appeal  being  made.  The  Executive 
Committee  in  its  Tenth  Biennial  Report  pre- 
sented the  question  of  the  opening  of  a  mission 
in  China,  to  which  it  had  been  urged  by  the 
Synods  of  New  York  and  Hartwick.  The  Gen- 
eral Synod  recommended  "that  the  Executive 
Committee  entertain  the  project  favorably." 
But  the  Civil  War  intervening  made  it  financially 
impossible. 

The  spirit  of  missions  in  the  Church  had  mean-  ^frjcan 
while  been  greatly  exercised  concerning  Africa's  mission 
evangelization.  In  1855,  at  the  Dayton  Conven- 
tion of  the  General  Synod,  the  Miami  Synod 
memorialized  the  General  Synod  "to  proceed  to 
establish  a  mission  in  Africa."  The  Synod  re- 
ferred this  to  a  committee  which  reported  at  a 
subsequent  session,  recommending  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  committee  of  five  to  draw  up  a  plan  to 
be  reported  at  the  next  convention.  The  com- 
mittee appointed  consisted  of  Revs.  Dr.  Sprecher, 
Harkey,  Harrison  and  Messrs.  J.  D.  Martin  and 
F.  Gebhart.  In  1857,  this  committee  appointed 
at  Reading  reported  that  the  Rev.  Morris  Officer 


24  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

had  been  at  work  for  two  years  trying  to  stir  up 
interest  in  the  project,  and  that  the  committee 
recommended  Liberia,  Africa,  as  the  place  for 
the  school  or  institute  to  be  established,  and  that 
the  work  was  to  be  under  the  control  of  the  mis- 
sionary, and  "to  embrace,  together  with  a  Chris- 
tian training  for  the  children,  the  common 
branches  of  an  English  education,  and  also  the 
common  arts  of  civilization."  At  the  Pittsburgh 
Convention,  1859,  the  committee  was  continued, 
but  cautioned  to  take  no  decided  action  "as  to 
the  location  and  the  commencement  of  the  mis- 
sion, without  the  co-operation  of  our  Foreign 
Missionary  Society." 

The  African  committee  thereupon  met  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  of  the  General  Synod,  and 
together  it  was  determined  to  locate  the  mission 
as  recommended  at  the  Reading  Convention,  in 
Liberia.  Significant  is  the  statement  that  Brother 
Officer  was  "to  continue  in  Africa  no  longer  than 
is  necessary  to  the  healthy  superintendence  of 
said  mission."  Accompanied  by  Brother  Heigard 
he  left  Baltimore,  February  23d,  i860.  Practi- 
cally, the  work  started  under  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee at  this  time,  but  the  African  Committee 
was  not  formally  discharged  until  1862,  at  Lan- 
caster,  Pa. 

The  development  of  the  Executive  Committee's 
work  was  greatly  retarded  during  the  years  of 
the  great  Civil  War,  and  the  disruption  of  the 
Church,  following  the  York  Convention  in  1864. 
The  days  in  Church  and  State  were  evil,  and 


THE  AMERICAN  BEGINNINGS  25 

Foreign  Missions  suffered  most  seriously.  The 
spirit  of  conquest  exhausted  itself  at  home,  and 
there  were  neither  men  nor  means  available  to  do 
the  work  abroad.' 

The    work    of    Foreign    Missions    was    done  Board 
through  an  Executive  Committee  appointed  by  organized 
the  General  Synod.     It  reported  at  the  biennial 
meetings  of  the  General  Synod. 

In  1869,  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  the  Secretary  of 
the  Executive  Committee  presented  the  following 
communication : 

"Whereas,  Provision  has  been  made  in  the  new  con- 
stitution of  the  General  Synod  for  Boards  appointed 
by  that  body  to  carry  on  the  benevolent  operations  of 
the  Church ;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  the  Synod  be  requested  at  its  present 
session  to  appoint  a  Board  of  Management  for  the 
Foreign  Missionary  work,  to  be  responsible  to  that 
body." 

The  Synod  replied  to  this  communication : 

"Resolved,  That  we  accede  to  the  proposal  of  the 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  and  take  charge  of  the 
Foreign  Missionary  work  and  interests." 

On  May  17th,  1869,  the  last  anniversary  of  the 
old  Missionary  Society  was  held  in  St.  Paul's 
Church,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  on  the  20th  fol- 
lowing, the  Board,  under  the  new  constitution, 
was  appointed  by  the  Synods.  Since  then  the 
home  end  of  the  work  has  been  in  the  hands  of 
this  Board.  The  headquarters  of  the  Board  con- 
tinued for  some  years  in  New  York.  In  1875,  the 
number  of  members  was  increased  from  five  to 


26  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

seven,  and  in  1877  the  members  appointed  to  con- 
stitute the  Board,  with  two  exceptions,  were  resi- 
dents of  Baltimore,  and  the  headquarters  of  the 
Board  were  transferred  to  that  city,  where  it  has 
remained  for  the  last  thirty-four  years.  It  is  a 
body  corporate  since  1882,  according  to  the  laws 
of  the  State  of  Maryland.  In  1879,  the  member- 
ship was  increased  to  eight,  and  in  1891  to  nine. 

In  1879,  the  Board,  though  repeatedly  urged 
to  it,  and  though  considerable  money  had  been 
received  to  start  the  work  in  Japan,  reported  "that 
it  would  not  be  wise  to  undertake  any  additional 
work  in  the  new  field."  The  reasons  assigned 
especially  were  the  need  of  funds  for  the  work 
already  commenced. 
Apportion-  The  growth  of  the  spirit  of  benevolence  as 
evinced  in  the  Foreign  Missionary  work  deserves 
attention.  The  amount  contributed  the  first  year 
of  the  organization,  according  to  the  first  biennial 
report,  was  $2,284.00,  and  it  was  principally  sent 
to  support  Dr.  Rhenius  and  his  colaborers  who, 
for  conscience'  sake,  had  left  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land and  had  established  the  Palamcottah  Mis- 
sion. The  highest  amount  contributed  under  the 
old  organization  was  given  in  the  biennium  1855- 
1857,  when  $11,876.00  was  contributed  by  a  com- 
municant membership  of  134,000.  Since  the  re- 
organization excellent  results  have  been  secured, 
under  the  apportionment  plan,  which  the  General 
Synod  adopted  in  1873. 

The  first  apportionment  fixed  for  Foreign  Mis- 
sions  was  $25,220.00  per  year,  and  the   result 


meDt 


THE  AMERICAN  BEGINNINGS 


27 


obtained,  as  shown  in  the  report  of  the  Board  in 
1875,  was  $14,384.00  per  year,  or  a  little  more 
than  half  the  amount  apportioned. 

The  growth  of  benevolence  has  been  steady 
during  the  last  forty  years,  as  revealed  in  the 
subjoined  table,  and  the  contributions  from  all 
sources  have  risen  since  1868  from  6  cents  to  37 
cents  per  communicant  member  in  1909,  the  high- 
est point  reached. 

THE  GROWTH  OF  OUR  RECEIPTS    AS  REPORTED 
TO  GENERAL  SYNOD 


Year. 

5 
S 

a 
s 
S 

1 

a 
0 

1 

< 

3  0 

•0 

.5 

§0 

£5 

II 

All  Sources. 

a 
a 

1 

a 

1869 

91.729 
101,369 

99,246 
107,423 
113,128 
122,641 
117,359 
130,365 
134,840 
134.710 
146,556 
155,081 
158,763 
173,408 
184,728 
192,299 
198,428 
209,942 
215,847 
228,524 
232,247 

85,890  31 1  80  06 
13,640  70'   06 
28  014  131    IS 

1871  

89,411  81 
18,066  04 
18,687  13 
20,679  73 
21,879  75 
20,640  65 
42,856  03 
41,422  79 
42,856  03 
44,966  37 
49,039  57 
57,159  59 
55,629  79 
65,195  78 
63,996  21 
62,399  89 
73,921  44 
78,671  23 
88,563  98 



84,228  89 
9,948  09 
10,085  96 
15,999  19 
16,920  50 
8,031  75 
3,090  04 
3,798  19 
9,518  88 
23,868  87 
21,141  05 
34,047  73 
21,733  22 
9,495  00 
8,4.'52  64 
9,805  89 
24,096  96 
31,463  77 
20,893  02 

1873 

1875 

28,773  09 
36,678  92 
38,938  55 
30,133  55 
60,741  08 
60,576  72 
62  196  19 

13 

1877 

16 

1879 

8138  30 

1,461  15 

4.795  01 

15,355  74 

9,821  28 

13,568  47 

17,363  30 

22,780  45 

22,292  21 

20,431  21 

24,566  31 

24,160  81 

24,538  01 

26,923  13 

36,884  93 

15 

1881 

13 

1883 

19 

1885 

22 

1887 

93 

1889 

1891 

82,404  711    28 
97  543  92'   ai 

1893 

113,987  77 
99,655  22 
85,121  99 
97,015  84 
96,366  59 
122,556  41 
136,958  13 
146,341  93 

36 

1895 

29 

1897 

1899 

23 
25 

1901 

25 

1903 

29 

1905 

31 

1907 

82 

1909 

96,222  47 

44,799  22 

29,675  37 

170,697  06 

37 

The  Children's  Missionary  Society  was  organ- 
ized in  1872  by  the  sainted  Rowe,  in  co-operation 
with  a  number  of  Baltimore  pastors  and  Sunday 


28  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

school  superintendents.  Since  then  it  has  been 
a  great  aid  to  our  foreign  work  and  has  contrib- 
uted largely  to  its  support. 

In  1871,  the  Board  recommended  the  "sending 
out  of  females  as  missionaries  when  proper  per- 
sons shall  offer  themselves,"  and  in  1877  it  rec- 
ommended the  General  Synod  to  organize  the 
Woman's  women  of  the  Church  into  missionary  societies. 

Society  ^j^g  General  Synod  set  forth  the  triple  aim  of  this 

valuable  auxiliary  to  be:  (i)  "To  spread  the 
knowledge  of  our  mission  work  in  this  and  for- 
eign lands;  (2)  to  create  more  interest  in  this 
work;  (3)  to  secure  funds  to  prosecute  it." 

The  Woman's  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  has  been  organized  in  the  congregations 
and  under  an  Executive  Committee,  of  which 
Mrs.  Kate  Boggs  Shaffer,  Ph.D.,  is  Secretary, 
has  done  a  splendid  work. 

From  the  first,  as  noted  above,  the  work  of 
fostering  the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions  and 
directing  its  affairs  was  entrusted  to  a  society 
known  as  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church.  It  held  its  meet- 
ings during  the  sessions  of  the  General  Synod 
and  its  members  made  annual  contributions  to 
its  funds.  The  President  of  the  General  Synod 
appointed  a  committee  to  nominate  officers,  and 
its  nominees  were  confirmed  by  the  General 
Synod.  Its  work  was  carried  on  by  an  Executive 
Committee.  Prominent  ministers  of  our  Church 
became  members  of  this  society,  and  in  1855 
among  the  Vice-Presidents  are  found  such  well- 


THE  AMERICAN  BEGINNINGS  29 

known  names  as  Drs.  Morris,  Krauth,  S[)recher, 
Springer,  Jacobs,  Lochman,  Baugher  and  Harkey. 

The  first  Treasurer  of  the  society  was  Mr. 
Isaac  Baugher.  He  was  followed  by  Mr.  W.  C. 
Bouck,  who,  in  turn,  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Mar-  officers 
tin  Buehler  in  1853,  who  continued  Treasurer  of 
the  society  and  became  subsequently  Treasurer  of 
the  new  Board  appointed  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
in  1869,  holding  under  both  organizations  this 
responsible  office  for  more  than  twenty-seven 
years.  In  July,  1877,  Mr.  Oliver  F.  Lantz  was 
elected.  He  filled  the  office  most  efficiently  until 
his  death  (1907),  and  was  followed  by  Mr. 
Henry  C.  Hines. 

The  first  Corresponding  Secretar\'  of  the  soci- 
ety was  the  Rev.  J.  Z,  Senderling,  who  remained 
its  efficient  and  devoted  head  until  1866.  On  his 
resignation  at  that  time  he  was  voted  an  honor- 
arium by  the  General  Synod.  At  the  same  time 
the  Synod  authorized  the  appointment  of  a 
Financial  Secretary,  "whose  whole  time  shall  be 
given  to  the  financial  department  of  the  mission 
work  and  the  management  of  the  Mission  Jour- 
nal." In  1866,  the  Rev.  A.  C.  Wedekind,  D.D., 
succeeded  him  as  Corresponding  Secretary,  in 
turn  to  be  followed  by  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Clutz, 
D.D.,  on  the  removal  of  the  Board  to  Baltimore, 
in  1877.  Notwithstanding  the  above  resolution 
eleven  years  passed,  and  yet  no  full-time  Secre- 
tary was  employed.  In  1877,  the  General  Synod 
passed  the  following  action : 

"Resolved,   That   it   is   the   sense   of   this   body   that 


30  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

there  should  be  a  paid  Secretary  of  Foreign  Missions 
who  shall  devote  all  his  time  to  the  interests  of  this 
work." 

And  yet  the  Board,  because  of  "financial  em- 
barrassment," made  no  appointment  until  1886, 
when  the  Rev.  George  Scholl,  D.D.,  became  the 
General  ^^st   General   Secretary,   and   continued   to   dis- 

Secretaries  charge  the  duties  of  the  office  as  General  Secre- 
tary until  November,  1901,  when  the  Rev.  Marion 
J.  Kline,  D.D.,  was  elected  General  Secretary, 
and  Dr.  Scholl  continued  as  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary. The  latter  held  the  office  of  Correspond- 
ing Secretary  until  1903,  when  he  was  made 
Secretary  Emeritus  by  the  Board.  Dr.  Kline 
filled  the  office  of  General  Secretary  for  nearly 
seven  years,  resigning  the  appointment  to  take  up 
the  active  pastorate,  June  ist,  1908.  Since  June 
5th,  1908,  the  Rev.  L.  B.  Wolf,  D.D.,  India  Mis- 
sionary, has  been  General  Secretary. 

Under  the  Executive  Committee  originally  the 
President  of  the  Society  had  little  to  do  with  the 
internal  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  foreign 
work.  He  and  a  number  of  prominent  ministers 
simply  backed  the  movement  in  the  Church. 
Familiar  names  like  Drs.  Baker,  Morris,  Krauth, 
Kurtz  and  Conrad,  are  found  among  the  Presi- 
dents of  the  Society.  The  Nominating  Com- 
mittee, in  1869,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  presented 
the  names  of  Rev.  L.  E.  Albert,  D.D.,  Rev.  A.  C. 
Wedekind,  D.D.,  Rev.  I.  K,  Funk,  and  Messrs. 
G.  P.  Ockershausen  and  Martin  Buehler.  The 
first  President  of  the  Board  was  the  Rev.  L.  E. 


THE  AMERICAN  BEGINNINGS  31 

Albert,  D.D.,  who  continued  at  the  head  of  the 
organized  work  until  the  Board  was  moved  to 
Baltimore  in  1877,  when  the  Rev.  Charles  A. 
Stork,  D.D.,  was  elected  President  of  the  newly 
constituted  Board,  whose  membership  was  as 
follows :  Rev.  Charles  A.  Stork,  D.D.,  Rev.  J. 
G.  Butler,  D.D.,  Rev.  George  Scholl,  Rev.  J.  A. 
Clutz,  Messrs.  Martin  Buehler,  W.  M.  Kemp, 
M.D.,  S.  D.  Schmucker.  Dr.  Stork  remained 
President  of  the  Board  until  his  death  in  1884, 
when  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Butler,  D.D.,  became  his 
successor.  Dr.  Butler  continued  in  ofiQce  until 
1895,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  F.  Ph. 
Plennighausen,  D.D.,  who  continued  President  of 
the  Board  until  1897,  when  the  present  President, 
the  Rev.  Luther  Kuhlman,  D.D.,  was  elected 

The  Rev.  F.  C.  Heyer  sailed  for  India  in  1841.   Father  Heyer 
Let  us  follow  him  and  his  colleagues  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  our  India  Mission. 

Landing  in  Ceylon  in  May,  1842,  by  easy  stages 
he  made  his  way  along  the  east  coast  of  the 
Southern  Peninsula,  reaching  Madras,  the  capital 
city  of  Southern  India,  early  in  June,  after  hav- 
ing visited  various  mission  stations  and  made  a 
careful  study  of  their  methods  of  work.  With  a 
view  of  doing  the  most  good  in  the  most  needy 
region,  after  the  matter  was  fully  canvassed  with 
the  missionaries  of  the  various  Madras  Mission- 
ary Societies,  he  was  recommended  to  open  work 
in  the  Telugu  country.*  All  this,  however,  was 
only  done  after  he  found,  for  many  reasons,  that 
*  See  account  of  field  under  sketch  of  Heyer. 


Stokes 


32  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

co-operation  with  Rheniiis  and  his  colaborers  was 
impossible.  Early  in  June,  in  a  palanquin,  a 
wheelless  vehicle,  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
famous  Indian  bearers,  he  started  for  the  Telugu 
country.  What  a  feeble  hope  for  conquest  was 
this ! 
Collector  Nothing  daunted,  on  the  31st  of  July,  1842,  our 

mission  founder  set  down  his  palanquin  and 
pitched  his  tent  in  the  very  heart  of  this  vast 
population,  reaching  Guntur  and  being  kindly 
welcomed  by  Collector  Stokes,  the  devoted  friend 
of  our  early  missionaries  and  their  work.  We 
can  only  roughly  outline  the  method  of  work 
undertaken,  touching  the  salient  features  in  its 
development.  Taking  his  cue  from  other  mis- 
sions, he  laid  broad  and  deep  the  foundations 
of  the  work  in  line  with  the  best  traditions  of 
the  missions  of  those  early  times,  and  especially 
of  the  German  Societies.  He  gathered  the  chil- 
dren into  schools  and  thus  began  the  work  of 
training  and  educating  the  young,  which  has 
marked  our  work  to  the  present  time.  Accord- 
ing to  his  ability  and  skill  in  the  use  of  the 
language,  he  early  began  to  preach  in  the  ver- 
nacular. When  within  a  year  he  was  joined  by 
Gunn,  the  two  branches,  teaching  and  preaching, 
were  developed  simultaneously.  From  this 
method  the  mission  has  never  departed.  Her 
schools  culminating  in  her  college,  and  her  evan* 
gelistic  work  among  the  masses,  were  carried  on 
as  the  two  great  arms  of  her  service  during  the 
almost  seventy  years  of  her  life,  and  no  serious 


THE  AMERICAN  BEGINNINGS  33 

question  has  since  arisen  in  regard  to  her  plan  of 
operation. 

Special  work  on  behalf  of  high  caste  women  Women's 
and  children  was  carried  on  from  the  first  day  ^"'^^ 
by  the  wives  of  the  missionaries,  though  less 
effectively  organized  than  at  present.  In  1857 
the  more  formal  organization  of  girls'  schools 
among  the  better  class  of  Hindus  was  effected, 
and  although  workers  were  scarce,  in  1880,  the 
first  single  woman  missionary  worker.  Miss  Kate 
Boggs,  was  set  apart  by  the  Board,  supported  by 
the  newly-organized  Woman's  Home  and  Foreign 
Missionary  Society,  and  sent  to  India.  Before 
she  could  organize  any  work,  ill  health  forced  her 
to  retire  from  the  field.  In  1883,  the  formal 
start  of  woman's  work  was  made  under  the  India 
Conference.  Dr.  Anna  S.  Kugler  and  Miss  Fan- 
nie Dryden,  B.A.,  were  the  standard  bearers  of 
this  new  movement.  In  1885,  the  higher  educa- 
tional work,  the  college,  and  the  medical  depart- 
ment, were  inaugurated.  About  the  same  time 
the  industrial  department  for  Mohammedan 
women  and  children  was  opened.  In  1902,  steps 
were  taken  to  supplement  the  work  of  the  mission 
by  the  establishment  of  an  orphanage  in  which 
also  industries  should  be  taught. 

This  is  an  outline  of  the  development  of  the 
Guntur  Mission  as  it  is  so  often  called.  To-day 
every  branch  of  work  prospers,  and  from  the 
central  station  at  Guntur,  our  work  has  spread 
to  Tenali,  fifteen  miles  away;  to  Narasarowpet, 
twenty-eight  miles  away;  to  Chirala,  forty  miles 
3 


34  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

away ;  to  Rentachintala,  seventy  miles  away,  and 
to  Kanigiri  and  Cumbum,  one  hundred  miles 
away,  and  stations  with  bungalows  have  been 
opened  at  Narasarowpet,  Sattenapalli,  Rentachin- 
tala, Chirala,  and  Tenali.  Sub-stations  exist  all 
over  the  field  in  which  are  found  514  con- 
gregations. 
Morris  Our  struggles  in  Africa  have  been  many  and 

Officer  severe  from  the  day  that  Officer  set  foot  on  the 

Dark  Continent.  A  most  deadly  climate  had  to 
be  faced  by  our  missionaries,  and  the  progress 
made  was  against  tremendous  odds. 

The  Muhlenberg  Mission  is  an  instance  of 
heroic  sacrifice.  Our  central  school,  or  institute 
as  it  was  at  first  called,  became  the  nucleus 
around  which  all  work  moved.  Industries  were 
added  and  a  farm  cleared,  which,  from  time  to 
time,  gave  good  returns  in  produce  of  coffee 
and  cassava,  furnishing  "the  arts  of  civilization," 
referred  to  by  the  originators  of  the  mission.  In 
1910,  the  Jubilee  of  the  mission  was  celebrated. 
Officer,  Day  and  Beck  have  inaugurated  and 
maintained  the  traditions  of  the  mission  from  the 
first.  Others  whose  names  are  entered  on  the 
roll  of  the  skies,  or  whose  health  forced  them  to 
retire,  did  their  work  and  contributed  to  the  sum 
of  service  and  sacrifice.  The  plan  of  operation 
has  remained  unchanged  from  the  first,  nor 
should  it  be  altered  except  to  make  more  effective 
both  sides  of  the  work.  The  educational  and  the 
industrial  and  the  evangelistic  must  be  maintained 
in  equal  efficiency,  and  only  so  can  the  Africa 


THE  AMERICAN  BEGINNINGS  35 

problem  be  solved.  If  our  experiences  on  the 
west  coast  have  been  hard,  and  if  our  progress 
has  been  slow,  we  have  only  repeated  the  ex- 
perience of  other  missions. 

The  organization  of  the  work  in  the  foreign 
field  is  centered  in  a  Conference  of  all  Foreign  India 
Workers,  ordained  and  unordained,  sent  out  by  Conference 
the  Board.  The  missionaries  supported  by  the 
Executive  Committee  have  an  equal  voice  in  the 
Conference  with  the  ordained  missionaries.  The 
native  Church  is  under  a  Synod  in  India,  in 
which  there  is  equal  representation  of  natives 
and  Americans.  This  Synod  is  subject  to  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

In  India  and  Africa  the  foreign  missionaries 
are  in  supreme  control,  though  every  effort  is 
put  forth  to  encourage  self-support  and  self- 
government. 

In  India  there  is  an  elaborate  code  of  rules,  the 
result  of  past  experience,  by  which  the  native 
workers  are  guided.  Experience  has  taught  the 
missionary  to  move  slowly  toward  self-govern- 
ment. 

Attention  is  called  to  the  statistical  tables  at 
the  end  of  the  volume. 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG 


BARTHOLOMEW   ZIEGENBALG 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG 

The  First  Protestant  Missionary  to  the 
Gentiles* 

by  john  aberly,  d.d. 

The  era  of  discovery  inaugurated  by  Colum-  The  field 
bus  had  for  its  first  object  the  finding  of  a  pas- 
sage way  to  India.  Up  to  that  time  the  extensive 
trade  with  the  far  east  had  to  be  carried  on 
through  Mohammedan  lands,  which  made  it 
both  dangerous  and  expensive.  Columbus  did 
not  succeed  in  his  purpose  of  finding  a  western, 
passage  to  India,  but,  stimulated  by  his  discover- 
ies, Vasco  de  Gama  soon  after  rounded  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  and  landed  on  the  Alalabar,  the 
western  coast  of  southern  India.  The  Portu- 
guese at  once  established  trading  stations  along 
the  Malabar  coast.  There  the  province  of  Goa 
is  in  their  possession  to  this  day.  Other  nations 
soon  followed. 

The  first  to  do  so  was  Holland,  then  famous 
for  its  maritime  trade.  In  1618  a  trading  com- 
pany was  formed  in  Copenhagen,  Denmark. 
This  company  sent  six  ships  to  India  under  the 
command  of  one  Ofre  Giedde.  Having  failed 
in  his  attempt  to  establish  a  trading  station  in 

*  Indebtedness  is  acknowledged  to  Rev.  A.  Gehring's 
"Bartholomdus  Ziegenbalg,  der  Voter  der  Evangelischen 
Tamulen  Mission"  for  the  facts  concerning  Ziegenbalg 
in  this  sketch. 

39 


40  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

Ceylon,  he  afterward  sailed  up  the  east  coast 
of  Southern  India  for  about  300  miles.  There 
he  bought  a  fishing  hamlet,  named  Tranquebar, 
with  fifteen  surrounding  villages,  built  a  fort 
called  the  Dansborg,  which  is  standing  to  this 
day,  and  founded  a  flourishing  Danish  colony. 
The  Danes  who  settled  built  palatial  bungalows, 
had  their  own  church,  called  the  Zion  Church, 
which  still  stands  and  is  now  used  by  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Church 
of  England,  and  were  ministered  to  by  two 
government  chaplains.  This  colony  remained  a 
Danish  possession  till  1845,  when  it  was  sold  to 
the  British.  Since  then  it  has  lost  much  of  its 
former  glory  and  is  fast  reverting  to  the  fishing 
hamlet  from  which  it  started.  One  glory  of 
Tranquebar,  however,  and  it  is  its  chief,  the 
changes  of  time  cannot  take  away,  and  that 
is  that  through  it  as  a  door  of  entrance  Protestant 
Foreign  Missions  got  their  first  foothold  in  India, 
and,  in  fact,  in  the  great  Gentile  world,  more 
than  a  century  before  the  British  Parliament  by 
a  special  Act  in  1815  opened  the  entire  country 
to  Christian  missions.  Trade  had,  however,  been 
established  with  Tranquebar  for  more  than  eighty 
years  before  mission  work  there  was  even  con- 
templated. Then,  in  1699,  the  pious  Frederick 
IV.  became  King  of  Denmark.  Seconded  in  his 
purpose  to  provide  for  the  spiritual  needs  of  his 
Indian  subjects  by  his  Court  Preacher,  Dr.  Leut- 
kens,  a  Pietist  who  used  to  be  under  the  influence 
of   Philip  Jacob   Spener,  this  king  became  the 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG      41 

agent  in  God's  hand  of  beginning  the  first  Luth- 
eran, as  well  as  the  first  Protestant  Mission,  in 
India. 

The  king  had  instructed  Dr.  Leutkens  to  find  a  The  prepa- 
man  fitted  for  the  work.  An  effort  to  secure  ration  of  the 
him  in  Denmark  failed.  Dr.  Leutkens  then  wrote 
to  former  colleagues  of  his  at  Berlin.  By  them 
Bartholomew  Ziegenbalg,  who  at  that  time  was 
supplying  a  charge  near  Berlin,  was  recom- 
mended for  the  work.  He  was  born  in  Pulsnitz, 
Upper  Lausitz,  Germany,  June  24th,  1683.  He 
was  named  after  his  father.  His  mother's  name 
was  Katharine.  His  parents  both  were  honest, 
God-fearing  people.  Both  died  so  early  that 
Ziegenbalg  remembered  but  little  about  them.  He 
did  remember,  however,  that  as  his  mother  ap- 
proached her  end  she  called  her  children  to  her 
and  said  to  them:  "Dear  children,  I  am  leaving 
you  a  great  treasure,  a  very  great  treasure." 
Asked  by  the  eldest  daughter  where  it  was  she 
replied :  "Seek  it  in  the  Bible,  my  dear  children. 
There  you  will  find  it.  I  have  bathed  every  page 
of  it  with  my  tears" — fitting  legacy  for  one  who 
was  destined  to  be  the  bearer  of  this  treasure  to  a 
new  continent.  The  father,  too,  died  not  long 
after,  and  Ziegenbalg  was  brought  up  by  his 
eldest  sister,  Anna. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  became  solicitous 
about  his  soul's  salvation.  He  was  very  fond  of 
music.  A  friend  of  his,  who  had  been  under 
Francke's  teaching  at  Halle,  once  said  to  him  that 
one  could  not  even  fully  enjoy  the  harmony  of 


42  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

music  unless  the  soul  were  in  harmony  with  God. 
With  this  friend  he  had  frequent  fellowship  in 
prayer  and  Bible  study.  They  also  frequently 
took  walks  together  and  delighted  in  the  works 
of  God.  It  was  during  this  time  that  Ziegenbalg 
realized  in  large  measure  the  joy  of  sonship 
with  his  heavenly  Father.  It  was  at  this  time 
also  that  he  decided  to  study  theology  with  a  view 
of  entering  the  ministry.  This  period  was,  how- 
ever, not  without  its  temptations.  He  had  to 
bear  the  taunts  of  those  who  regarded  him  as 
a  fanatic  because  of  his  constant  strivings  after 
personal  holiness.  He  also  had  to  contend  with 
doubts  in  his  own  mind  because  he  did  not  always 
have  that  feeling  of  nearness  to  his  God  which 
his  soul  craved.  These  he  overcame  by  a  faith- 
ful study  of  the  Scriptures  and  by  reading  the 
books  of  Francke,  and  thus  attained  to  abiding 
peace  and  joy  in  believing. 

In  1702  he  went  to  Berlin  to  school  in  order 
to  prepare  himself  the  better  to  enter  on  his 
theological  course  at  the  university,  but  ill  health 
soon  compelled  him  to  give  up  his  studies  there. 
While  at  Berlin,  however,  he  came  in  contact 
with  friends  and  teachers,  among  them  Spener, 
who  left  a  permanent  impression  on  his  religious 
life.  In  1703,  after  consulting  with  Francke,  he 
entered  on  his  theological  course  at  Halle.  His 
health  was  so  poor  that  he  could  not  take  a  full 
course.  This  discouraged  him  so  much  that  he 
was  tempted  to  give  up  his  purpose  of  studying 
for  the  ministry;  but  Francke,  with  almost  pro- 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG      43 

phetic  vision,  encouraged  him  by  telling  him  that 
even  should  his  preparation  not  meet  the  require- 
ments for  a  pastorate  in  Germany,  yet  he  might 
fit  himself  for  mission  work  in  some  foreign 
land.  Because  of  his  health  he  only  remained 
at  Halle  for  about  six  months. 

Afterwards  he  became  a  tutor  in  private  fami-  Tutor 
lies  at  Merseburg  and  Erfurt.  While  thus  en- 
gaged he  used  every  opportunity  to  conduct 
"Bihcl  Stundcn" — the  devotional  meetings  in 
vogue  among  the  Pietists.  During  this  time,  also, 
he  became  very  intimate  with  another  Halle  stu- 
dent, with  whom  he  made  a  covenant  never  to 
seek  anything  but  the  glory  of  God,  the  spread  of 
His  kingdom  and  the  salvation  of  his  fellow-men, 
and  constantly  to  strive  after  personal  holiness, 
no  matter  where  he  might  be  or  what  crosses  he 
might  have  to  bear. 

In  1704  we  find  him  again  compelled  to  go 
home  because  of  illness.  Here  in  the  following 
year  he  supplied  his  home  congregation  while 
the  pastor  was  away  for  his  health.  After  this 
he  had  planned  to  return  to  Halle,  but  just  then 
his  youngest  sister  died.  His  oldest  sister  had 
already  died  in  1702.  The  only  remaining  sister 
wanted  him  to  stay  at  home  at  least  a  year.  He 
consented  to  do  so  and  pursue  his  studies  pri- 
vately. But  while  at  Berlin  visiting  some  friends 
a  call  came  to  him  to  supply  a  congregation  at 
Werder,  six  miles  from  Berlin.  It  was  while 
here  that  the  call  as  above  narrated  came  to  him 
to  go  to  India. 


M  MISSIONARY   HEROES 

What  impresses  one  is  the  incomplete  char- 
acter of  his  preparation.  Physically  he  was  not 
strong  and  would  not  now  pass  any  board's 
medical  examination.  His  course  of  studies  had 
been  constantly  interrupted.  Yet  he  did  have  a 
no  less  necessary  preparation  for  a  pioneer,  that 
which  he  got  in  the  school  of  disappointment  and 
suffering.  The  discipline  he  had  undergone 
taught  him  the  patience  under  discouragement 
which  he  later  needed  so  constantly.  Then  he 
was  well-grounded  in  the  Scriptures,  had  a  deep 
religious  experience  and  was  a  man  of  prayer. 
Along  with  this,  his  intellectual  talents  must  have 
been  of  a  high  order,  as  will  appear  when  his 
work  in  the  language  and  literature  of  India  is 
considered.  The  man  was  ready  for  the  work 
and  then  the  call  came.  Along  with  him  was 
called  Henry  Pliitschau,  who  went  to  India  with 
him,  and  for  five  years  was  his  colleague. 
The  Danish-  ^^'^^  above  will  show  how  it  happened  that  the 
Halle  mission  of  which  Ziegenbalg  and  Pliitschau  were 

the  pioneers  went  under  the  name  of  the  Danish- 
Halle  Mission.  The  missionaries  were  at  first 
sent  out  by  the  King  of  Denmark  The  affairs 
of  the  mission  were  later  managed  by  a  board  and 
a  director,  whose  headquarters  were  at  Copen- 
hagen; yet  the  missionaries  were  also  connected 
with  Halle.  They  went  out  from  that  school 
of  the  prophets  which  later  sent  Muhlenberg  to 
the  dispersed  Lutherans  of  America.  Francke 
did  more  than  take  merely  a  teacher's  interest 
in  his  old  pupils.     He  felt  it  his  duty  to  aid  the 


Mission 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG  45 

work  by  collecting  money  for  it  among  the 
churches  of  Germany.  In  17 12,  when  this  work 
had  become  too  heavy  for  him  to  carry  along 
with  all  his  other  duties,  this  part  of  the  work 
was  entrusted  to  a  secretary,  who  gave  all  his 
time  to  it.  Ziegenbalg  sent  reports  of  his  work 
in  India  to  Halle,  as  Muhlenberg  later  sent 
reports  from  America.  These  Hallische  Nach- 
richtcn  give  us  the  best  and  fullest  information 
about  the  beginnings  of  mission  work  in  India. 

At  a  meeting  of  Pastors  in  Berlin,  October  journey 
1st,  1705,  Ziegenbalg  announced  his  acceptance  ^°  ^°^^^ 
of  the  call  to  India  and  added  that  if  his  going 
would  result  in  the  conversion  of  but  a  single 
soul  it  would  have  an  abundant  reward.  He 
arrived  at  Copenhagen  October  15th,  where  he 
had  to  undergo  an  examination  for  ordination. 
The  Bishop  was  of  what  was  known  as  the 
orthodox  school,  and  as  such  opposed  to  the 
Pietists.  Because  of  this  prejudice,  he  on  first 
examination  declared  that  both  Ziegenbalg  and 
Pliitschau  had  failed.  But  through  Dr.  Lut- 
kens'  influence  they  were  re-examined,  this  time 
in  the  presence  of  the  king,  and  they  acquitted 
themselves  so  creditably  that  the  Bishop  could 
no  longer  refuse  to  ordain  them.  Thereupon 
commissioned  by  the  Church,  they  sailed  for 
Tranquebar  by  the  ship  "Sophia  Hedwig," 
November  29th,  by  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  The  voyage  took  a  little  over  seven 
months,  which  each  of  the  missionaries  improved 
by  writing  a  book.     Ziegenbalg  felt  it  his  duty 


46  MISSIONARY   HEROES 

to  rebuke  the  sins  of  the  captain  and  the  sailors. 
Because  of  this  the  captain  became  very  hostile 
towards  him,  which  was  partly  the  reason  for  the 
difficulties  he  experienced  in  landing  after  his 
arrival  at  his  destination. 
Arrival  at  Ziegenbalg  and  Pliitschau  arrived  in  the  har- 

Tranquebar  ^qj-  ^f  Tranquebar  July  7th,  1706.  From  the 
ship  they  could  see  the  houses  and  the  palm 
trees  of  the  land  towards  which  they  had  been 
looking  so  eagerly,  but  for  two  days  they  found 
it  impossible  to  land.  The  unfriendly  captain 
would  not  land  them.  He  may  have  been  en- 
couraged by  the  trading  company  under  which 
he  sailed,  which,  it  was  later  learned,  instructed 
the  governor  of  Tranquebar  to  do  all  he  could 
to  hinder  the  work  of  the  missionaries.  Two 
days  after  their  arrival  they  were  enabled  to 
land  by  the  kindness  of  the  captain  of  another 
ship.  This  was  on  July  9th,  1706.  This  date 
is  to  be  remembered  as  the  birthday  of  Protestant 
Foreign  Mission  Work.  A  monument  erected 
by  the  Christians  of  the  Leipzig  Mission  on  the 
two  hundredth  anniversary  of  his  landing  marks 
the  spot  where  they  waited  for  permission  to 
enter  the  town.  It  bears  the  following  inscrip- 
tion: "1706-1906.  Here  landed  by  God's  grace 
on  July  9,  1706,  the  first  Lutheran  missionaries 
to  India,  Bartholomew  Ziegenbalg  and  Henry 
Pliitschau.  Erected  by  the  grateful  congrega- 
tions of  the  Leipzig  Ev.  Luth.  Mission,  1906." 
This  is  now  one  of  the  sacred  spots  in  India 
not  only   for  Lutherans  but   for  all   Protestant 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG      47 

Christians.  The  missionaries,  honored  though 
they  be  now,  were  not  honored  by  their  own 
countrymen  then.  They  were  made  to  wait  at 
the  Customs  from  ten  a.  m.  to  four  p.  m. 
Then  the  governor  met  them,  was  shown  the 
king's  order,  but  took  very  scant  notice  of  it. 
From  four  to  seven  they  still  remained  there 
and  would  have  had  to  continue  to  do  so  had 
not  a  private  citizen,  a  Dane,  named  Altrupp, 
taken  pity  on  them  and  taken  them  to  his 
father-in-law,  Air.  Paulsen,  by  whom  they  were 
entertained.  This  man  it  was  who  prepared  a 
small  house  for  them  near  the  city  wall  which 
became  their  permanent  lodging  place.  They 
had  their  food  prepared  outside  by  natives  and 
brought  to  them.  For  it  they  paid  four  dollars* 
a  month.  In  such  humble  surroundings  the  great 
task  of  winning  India  for  the  lowly  Nazarene 
was  begun.  Humble  indeed  the  surroundings, 
but  magnificent  the  faith  that  dared  to  under- 
take work  so  gigantic  in  circumstances  so  lowly. 

The  first  task  to  be  undertaken  was  that  of  Beginning 
learning  the  language.  Catholic  missionaries  °^  ^^® 
had  been  doing  their  work  in  the  Portuguese 
language.  This  was  the  language  used  by 
servants  and  other  natives  in  the  trading  sta- 
tions. The  great  mass  of  the  people,  however, 
spoke  the  vernacular  of  the  country,  which  in 
that  part  of  India  is  Tamil.     The  missionaries 

*  The  dollar  referred  to  here  and  in  other  parts  of 
the  sketch  is  the  German  Thaler  and  was  worth  in 
reality  only  75  cents. 


48  MISSIONARY   HEROES 

agreed  that  one  of  them  was  to  learn  Portuguese, 
the  other  Tamil.  The  decision  was  made  by  lot. 
The  lot  to  learn  Portuguese  fell  on  Ziegenbalg. 
However,  as  he  had  a  greater  gift  for  lan- 
guages than  Pliitschau,  who  was  seven  years  his 
senior,  this  was  afterwards  changed  by  mutual 
consent  so  that  Pliitschau  took  the  Portuguese 
while  Ziegenbalg  applied  himself  to  Tamil.  He 
began  the  study  of  the  language  in  September. 
His  method  was  unique.  He  invited  a  Tamil 
school  teacher  to  bring  his  school  to  his  house 
and  teach  it  there.  Then  he  sat  on  the  ground 
with  the  pupils  and  learned  to  make  the  Tamil 
letters  along  with  them  by  tracing  them  in  the 
sand.  Thus  he  learned  letters,  sounds  and  words. 
But  in  order  to  learn  the  meanings  he  had  to  have 
an  interpreter.  He  secured  one  named  Aleppa. 
From  this  time  on  his  progress  was  rapid.  Al- 
ready in  June,  1707,  he  completed  a  translation 
of  Luther's  Catechism.  In  September  of  that 
year  he  preached  his  first  sermon.  He  aimed 
not  only  to  learn  words  but  also  to  master  the 
thought  of  the  people.  Because  of  this  he  be- 
came a  diligent  student  of  the  rich  Tamil  litera- 
ture and  conducted  an  extensive  correspondence 
with  native  scholars  called  pandits. 
Method  of  His  incessant  activity  may  be  seen  from  a 
language  letter  he  wrote  August  22d,  1708,  in  which  he 
gives  an  outline  of  his  daily  work  at  that  time ; 
from  it  the  following  is  condensed : 

"After   morning   prayers   I   begin   my   work. 
From  six  to  seven  I  explain  Luther's  Catechism 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG  49 

to  the  people  in  Tamil.  From  seven  to  eight 
I  review  the  Tamil  words  and  phrases  which  I 
have  learned.  From  eight  to  twelve  I  read 
nothing  but  Tamil  books,  new  to  me,  under  the 
guidance  of  a  pandit  who  must  explain  things 
to  me  with  a  writer  present,  who  writes  down 
all  words  and  phrases  which  I  have  not  had  be- 
fore. From  twelve  to  one  I  eat,  and  have  the 
Bible  read  to  me  while  doing  so.  From  one  to 
two  I  rest,  for  the  heat  is  very  oppressive  then. 
From  two  to  three  I  have  a  catechisation  in  my 
house.  From  three  to  five  I  again  read  Tamil 
books.  From  five  to  six  we  have  our  prayer 
meeting.  From  six  to  seven  we  (meaning  him- 
self and  Pliitschau)  have  a  conference  together 
about  the  day's  happenings.  From  seven  to  eight 
I  have  a  Tamil  writer  read  to  me,  as  I  dare  not 
read  much  by  lamp-light.  From  eight  to  nine 
I  eat,  and  while  doing  so  have  the  Bible  read  to 
me.  After  that  I  examine  the  children  and 
converse  with  them.  Constant  practice  in  this 
way  has  given  me  great  freedom  and  confidence 
in  the  use  of  the  Tamil  language." 

Visiting  a  German,  who  was  sick,  led  to  the 
holding  of  a  German  prayer  meeting  for  the 
Germans  in  the  station  every  Wednesday  even- 
ing in  the  Zion  Church.  For  this  the  governor 
willingly  gave  permission.  This  recognition  on 
the  part  of  the  authorities  accorded  to  the  mis- 
sionaries proved  to  be  of  great  help  to  them  in 
their  work.  „.  , 

First 

The    first    converts    came    from    among    the  converts 


60  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

Portuguese-speaking  servants.  Five  of  these 
were  baptized  in  Zion  Church,  May  5th,  1707* 
Already  in  January  of  the  same  year  some  of 
the  Tamil  people  had  put  themselves  under 
Christian  instruction.  The  missionaries  now 
began  to  feel  the  need  of  their  own  church.  It 
was  only  after  much  opposition  from  the  gov- 
ernor that  a  place  on  which  to  build  one  was 
secured.  The  missionaries  contributed  half  their 
salaries  towards  the  erection  of  this  first  church, 
and  their  salaries  were  only  two  hundred  dol- 
lars a  year.  Friends  in  the  colony,  too,  con- 
tributed towards  this  building.  It  was  at  its 
dedication,  August  14th,  1707,  that  Ziegenbalg 
preached  his  first  Tamil  sermon.  His  work  ex- 
tended to  the  villages  in  the  Danish  possessions 
outside  of  Tranquebar.  Beyond  these  the 
country  was  under  the  king  of  Tanjore.  His 
country  was  not  as  yet  open  to  the  Gospel.  But 
Ziegenbalg's  reputation  was  spreading  even  there. 
The  fact  of  a  foreigner  learning  their  own  lan- 
guage to  teach  about  God  impressed  the  Hindus. 
Because  of  his  reputation  he  had  many  visitors 
from  beyond  the  Danish  boundary  line.  By 
the  end  of  1707,  thirty-five  members  had  been 
received  into  the  church.  At  once  Ziegenbalg 
established  a  school  for  the  education  of  the 
Christian  children.  Church  and  school  went 
hand-in-hand  from  the  very  beginning  of  Prot- 
estant mission  work. 
Opposition  Some  of  the  difficulties  that  Ziegenbalg  had 

aud  trials        ^^  contend  with  were,  perhaps,  unavoidable  in 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG  51 

beginning  a  new  work.  Among  these  must  be 
classed  some  of  the  troubles  he  had  with  the 
Danish  government  chaplains.  No  attempt  had 
been  made  by  those  in  authority  to  define  the 
relations  of  the  missionaries  to  them.  This  led 
to  misunderstandings.  More  serious  was  the 
fact  that  the  chaplains  had  no  sympathy  with 
the  Pietists.  The  influence  that  these  chaplains 
might  have  used  to  further  their  work  they  used 
the  rather  to  hinder  it.  They  also  had  to  meet 
the  active  opposition  of  Catholic  missionaries. 
The  Portuguese  servants  of  Europeans  had  been 
their  special  field  of  labor,  and  it  can  readily  be 
imagined  how  they  would  resent  the  intrusion 
of  these  missionaries  into  it.  Besides  they  had 
been  the  almoners  of  the  public  charities  of 
the  colony,  and  when  Ziegenbalg  asked  that  a 
part  of  these  be  allotted  to  him  for  use  in  his 
work  they  naturally  opposed  him  the  more.  Be- 
sides all  this  no  businesslike  financial  provision 
had  been  made  for  their  work.  All  that  had  been 
assumed  by  the  king  was  their  salaries,  and  even 
these  did  not  come  regularly.  Friends  of  the 
mission  in  Germany  and  Denmark  did  indeed 
send  money  for  the  work,  but  there  was  nothing 
definite  on  which  they  could  depend.  It  was 
not  till  August  1st,  1708,  over  two  years  after 
they  had  landed  in  India,  that  a  ship  carrying 
the  first  financial  help  arrived  in  the  harbor, 
but  even  then,  because  of  carelessness  of  a 
drunken  captain  of  the  ship,  the  small  boat  on 
which    the    money    chest    for    the    mission    was 


Support 


52  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

placed  was  upset  in  the  harbor  and  the  money 
was  never  recovered.  It  was  not  till  July  20th, 
1709,  that  the  first  cash  from  home  came  into 
their  hands.  The  ship  that  brought  this  als* 
brought  three  new  missionaries  to  aid  them  in 
their  work.  Revs.  Griindler,  Bovingh,  and 
Jordan.  During  all  that  time  they  had  actually 
suffered  want,  besides  being  unable  to  provide 
for  their  work.  It  was  only  their  faith  in  God 
and  the  sympathy  and  help  they  received  from 
some  of  the  residents  that  enabled  them  to  go  on 
in  the  work  at  all.  The  governor's  opposition, 
under  instructions  from  the  trading  company 
which  managed  the  affairs  of  the  colony,  has 
already  been  mentioned.  He  took  every  possible 
occasion  to  hinder  their  work  among  the  natives. 
Ziegenbalg  once  interested  himself  in  collecting 
a  debt  for  a  poor  widow.  The  governor  was 
offended  by  something  he  wrote  in  connection 
therewith  and  summoned  him  to  appear  before 
him.  Owing  to  some  irregularity  in  the  delivery 
of  the  summons  Ziegenbalg  refused  to  appear 

Arrest  and        at  the  time  appointed.    For  this  he  was  arrested. 

imprisonment  pg^ring  lest  he  might  give  occasion  for  further 
persecution  if  he  said  anything  he  declined  to 
answer  the  questions  put  to  him  at  his  trial. 
Because  of  this  he  was  imprisoned  in  a  cell  in 
the  fort,  November  19th,  1708.  He  was  denied 
books,  pen  and  ink  and  paper,  and  his  colleague 
was  forbidden  to  visit  him.  The  food  that 
Pliitschau  sent  him  was  even  inspected  lest  in 
it  letters  might  be  smuggled  to  him.     The  cell 


A   BRAHMAN   CONVERT 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG      53 

in  which  he  was  imprisoned  is  still  shown  to  the 
visitor.  He  remained  a  prisoner  till  March  26th, 
1709,  when  he  was  released.  Soldiers  took  pity 
on  him,  read  books  to  him  and  gave  him  pen 
and  ink.  In  a  petition  to  the  governor  he  com- 
plains of  the  injustice  done  him,  but  adds  that 
though  he  had  forbidden  him  so  many  things 
he  yet  could  not  forbid  him  this — constantly  to 
pray  for  the  governor,  and  this  he  would  always 
continue  to  do.  To  anticipate  a  few  occurrences, 
this  opposition  from  the  governor  lasted  till  1714. 
When  another  ship  arrived  with  help  for  the 
mission  in  1710,  he  tried  to  divert  the  money 
sent  for  the  work  to  other  purposes.  When  some  Continued 
trouble  arose  between  Bovingh  and  the  other  *"^'s 
missionaries  the  governor  sided  with  Bovingh 
and  encouraged  him  to  build  a  station  near 
the  Tanjore  king's  border.  This  the  king  re- 
sented, and  sent  soldiers  to  raze  the  buildings 
to  the  ground.  This  incident  was  then  used  by 
the  governor  to  justify  his  opposition  to  missions 
on  the  ground  that  they  would  disturb  the  peace 
of  the  country.  When  in  171 1  Ziegenbalg  tried 
to  return  to  Europe,  where  he  felt  his  presence 
was  needed,  he  could  not  get  any  passage  on  a 
Danish  ship.  Going  to  Madras,  he  engaged 
passage  on  an  English  ship  there,  but  when  this 
reached  the  governor's  ears  he  forbade  his  going 
in  that  way.  He  was  compelled,  therefore,  to 
send  Pliitschau  in  his  stead.  The  difficulties 
from  this  source  only  came  to  an  end  when  in 
1 714  an  order  came  from  the  king  to  the  gov- 


54  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

ernor  to  assist  the  mission  and  to  advance  money 
to  it  up  to  $1,000.00  to  tide  it  over  emergencies. 
From  that  time  on  the  governor's  attitude 
changed,  and  a  reconciHation  was  effected.  In 
spite  of  all  the  injury  he  had  received  from  the 
governor,  Ziegenbalg  harbored  no  revenge,  but 
shook  hands  with  him  to  show  that  he  bore  no 
grudge  against  him.  It  was  shortly  afterward 
that  the  governor  was  replaced  by  another  man 
who  seems  to  have  had  sympathy  for  the  work  of 
the  mission. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  differences  be- 
tween the  missionaries  themselves.  Apart  from 
the  sad  fact  that  mission  history  has  many  such 
regrettable  incidents  to  record,  there  were  some 
special  reasons  for  the  trouble  at  that  time.  No 
policy  for  the  government  of  the  missionaries 
and  the  mission  had  yet  been  adopted.  All  had 
an  equal  voice  in  its  affairs,  evidently  from  the 
time  of  their  arrival  on  the  field.  Then  Bovingh 
happened  to  be  the  only  one  in  the  mission  who 
was  not  in  sympathy  with  Pietism.  The  trouble 
did  not  last  long,  though,  as  Bovingh  soon  re- 
turned to  Europe.  There,  however,  he  tried  to 
influence  people  against  the  mission,  and  it  was 
only  Pliitschau's  return  in  171 1,  followed  by 
Ziegenbalg  in  1714,  that  restored  the  confidence 
of  the  churches  in  the  work  of  the  mission. 
Literary  In  spite  of  all  hindrances,  Ziegenbalg  did  a 

^°^^  prodigious  amount  of  work.     He  early  prepared 

and  published  an  order  of  service  and  hymnal. 
October  17th,  1708,  he  began  the  translation  of 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG      55 

the  New  Testament  into  Tamil,  which  he  com- 
pleted March  31st,  171 1.  This  task  alone,  it 
would  seem,  ought  to  have  taken  his  entire  time 
during  these  less  than  three  years.  This  was 
the  first  translation  of  the  New  Testament  into  Translation 
an  Indian  vernacular,  and  was  made  nearly  a  XegJ^gnt 
century  before  Carey  projected  his  translation 
of  the  Bible  into  the  various  vernaculars  of  the 
country.  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
Christian  Knowledge,  known  as  the  S.  P.  C.  K., 
of  London,  learning  of  Ziegenbalg's  work  sent 
him  a  printing  press  in  1712.  A  soldier  in  Tran- 
quebar  who  knew  the  art  was  employed  as  the 
first  printer  for  the  mission.  In  1713  a  tract 
on  Hinduism  and  Luther's  Catechism  in  Tamil 
were  issued  from  this  press,  and  the  following 
year  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts  were  published. 
Ziegenbalg  also  undertook  the  translation  of  the 
Old  Testament,  which  he  finished  as  far  as  the 
Book  of  Ruth.  The  extent  of  his  literary  labor 
can  be  seen  from  a  letter  he  wrote  to  Francke 
in  1712.  He  then  reports  thirty-eight  books  and 
tracts  which  he  had  either  composed  or  trans- 
lated. He  also  sent  a  list  of  147  indigenous 
Tamil  books  which  he  had  read  up  to  that  time. 
Among  his  literary  works  ought  to  be  mentioned 
a  book  on  "The  Gods  of  Malabar"  (Malabar 
being  then  the  name  of  the  Tamil  country). 
This  was  prepared  in  German  for  publication 
in  Europe,  but  was  not  published,  as  the  mis- 
sion authorities  were  of  opinion  that  Ziegenbalg 
ought    to    preach    Christianity    to    Hindus,    not 


56 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Preaching 
among 
Hindus  and 
Mohamme- 
dans 


Hinduism  to  the  Christians  in  Europe.  Later 
his  work  was  duly  appreciated  and  an  English 
translation  of  it  made,  which  is  still  of  great 
value  in  understanding  the  religion  of  the  people 
of  Southern  India. 

In  1709  a  better  house  was  built  for  the 
missionaries  than  the  rented  one  they  had  so 
far  occupied.  This  house  is  still  used  as  a  mis- 
sionary's residence  in  Tranquebar.  There  were 
then  five  men  on  the  field,  all  single  and  all 
living  together.  This  made  it  possible  for 
Ziegenbalg  to  reach  out  to  the  outlying  districts. 
He  gives  a  full  account  of  his  attempt  to  tour 
in  the  Tanjore  District.  He  put  on  native  dress 
and  traveled  in  native  style — for  which  he  paid 
the  penalty  of  a  few  days'  illness  after  a  tour 
of  only  one  day.  He  was  kindly  received  by  the 
Brahmans,  but  just  as  kindly  advised  not  to  pro- 
ceed with  his  tour  unless  he  first  secured  a  pass 
from  the  Tanjore  king.  He  heeded  this  advice. 
We  find  him  next  moving  northwards  towards 
Madras  through  the  territory  of  the  Prince  of 
Arcot,  a  Mohammedan  ruler.  This  time  he 
traveled  not  in  native  style,  which  he  had  learned 
did  not  pay,  but  by  palanquin  in  European  style. 
He  had  long  discussions  with  Brahmans.  In 
Cuddalore  and  Madras  he  was  received  by  the 
British  governors.  He  gives  full  accounts  of 
meetings  held  and  the  discussions  he  had  with 
Hindus.  The  objections  to  Christianity  he  had 
to  meet  were  largely  those  one  meets  in  India 
to  this  day.    He  also  gives  a  summary  of  his  own 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG  57 

preaching.  From  it  we  learn  that  he  preached 
much  about  the  goodness  of  the  only  true  God, 
and  the  sinfulness  of  those  who  left  Him  and 
gave  their  devotion  to  gods  of  wood  and  stone. 
He  offered  pardon  and  salvation  through  Christ 
to  all  who  would  leave  their  idols  and  turn  to  the 
God  whom  they  had  offended.  During  his  first 
term  of  service  he  made  two  tours  to  Madras, 
preaching  along  the  way.  Madras  being  about 
two  hundred  miles  from  Tranquebar,  this  was 
quite  an  extensive  tour. 

For  some  time  before  his  return  to  Europe,  in  Furlough 
1714,  he  had  felt  that  he  could  best  serve  the 
mission's  interests  by  a  return  home.  As  above 
narrated,  however,  the  governor's  opposition 
prevented  his  going.  After  their  reconciliation 
in  1714  this  difficulty  not  only  disappeared,  but 
the  governor  actually  appointed  him  as  a  chaplain 
on  a  returning  vessel,  and  thus  he  had  a  free 
passage  home.  He  and  Rev.  Jordan  sailed  from 
Tranquebar  October  26th,  1714.  This  left  Rev. 
Griindler  alone  in  charge  of  the  work. 

On  his  return  Ziegenbalg  first  went  to  pay  his 
respects  to  the  King  of  Denmark,  who  was  then 
conducting  a  siege  of  Stralsund  in  his  war  against 
Charles  XH.  of  Sweden,  by  whom  he  was  very 
graciously  received.  Later  he  visited  the  Mission 
Collegium  (Board),  at  Copenhagen.  They  had 
already  anticipated  one  of  the  objects  of  his 
visit,  which  was  to  arrange  for  the  proper  gov- 
ernment of  the  mission.  Before  his  return  they 
had  done  so  and  appointed  Ziegenbalg  as  the  first 


58 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


First 

Protestant 
woman 
missionary 


Labors  for 
the  mission 


Propst  or  President  of  the  mission.  Afterwards 
he  went  to  Halle.  Here  he  received  an  enthu- 
siastic reception.  The  churches  of  Germany 
received  him  most  kindly,  and  took  up  offerings 
with  which  he  later  built  the  new  Jerusalem 
Church  at  Tranquebar.  In  Wiirtemberg  the  king 
issued  a  special  order,  that  offerings  were  to  be 
made  for  the  mission  in  the  churches  of  his  king- 
dom. Before  returning  to  India  he  married 
Maria  Dorothea  Saltzmann,  who  hereafter  be- 
comes partner  of  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  his 
missionary  life.  She  has  the  honor  of  being  the 
first  woman  ever  sent  to  a  foreign  mission  field. 
On  his  return  trip  he  took  ship  in  England.  In 
London  he  had  a  reception  tendered  him  by  the 
S.  P.  C.  K.,  who  presented  him  with  twenty 
guineas.  The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  pre- 
sented him  to  the  King  of  England,  and  to  the 
Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales.  He  sailed  from 
England  March  4th,  1716,  and,  by  what  was  then 
a  quick  voyage,  reached  Madras  August  loth. 
On  his  return  to  Tranquebar  he  threw  him- 
self into  the  work  with  his  old-time  enthusiasm. 
He  seems  to  have  had  two  special  objects  before 
his  mind,  the  one  to  establish  out-stations,  the 
other  to  develop  the  native  church.  Tranquebar 
was  to  remain  the  central  station,  and  there  he 
replaced  the  small  church  by  the  stately  New 
Jerusalem  Church,  which  stands  to  this  day. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  February  9th,  1717, 
when  Ziegenbalg  preached  on  i  Cor.  3:  2 — 
"Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG  59 

laid,  Christ  Jesus."  The  newly-appointed  gov- 
ernor laid  the  corner-stone — happy  augury  of 
the  more  pleasant  relations  between  the  govern- 
ment and  the  mission  on  which  they  had  now 
entered.  The  church  was  dedicated  October 
nth  and  12th,  1718.  On  October  nth  the 
dedicatory  services  were  in  German,  on  the  day 
following  in  Tamil.  A  German  hymn,  composed 
by  Ziegenbalg  for  the  occasion,  shows  him  pos- 
sessed of  rare  poetic  gifts.  The  church  stands 
to  this  day,  a  monument  to  Ziegenbalg's  untiring 
zeal  and  faith.  He  wisely  built  for  the  future, 
and  so  the  church  has  been  used  now  for  nearly 
two  centuries  already,  and  is  still  in  good  con- 
dition. Many  a  solemn  service  it  has  witnessed. 
No  less  than  twenty  missionaries  lie  buried  under 
its  shadow,  among  them  Ziegenbalg  himself.  The 
church  as  well  as  the  other  property  of  the 
Danish-Halle  Mission  was  transferred  to,  and 
is  now  used  by,  the  flourishing  Leipzig  Lutheran 
Mission,  which  still  has  its  headquarters  at  Tran- 
quebar. 

In  his  care  for  the  church,  Ziegenbalg  also  School  for 
projected  a  school   for  catechists  and  teachers,  "techists  and 

^      '  teachers 

and  one  for  pastors.  The  seminary  opened 
October  23d,  1716,  with  eight  students.  This 
school  continued  until  1780.  About  the  same 
time  he  also  began  to  establish  village  schools 
as  an  evangelistic  agency.  His  object  was  so  to 
influence  the  community  through  these  schools 
that  out-stations  could  by  means  of  these  be 
started   outside  of   the   small   Danish   territory. 


60  MISSIONARY   HEROES 

Rev.  Griindler  gave  these  village  schools  his 
special  care. 

Criticism  One  criticism  has  frequently  been  made  against 

his  vi^ork  in  the  congregations.  It  is  that  he 
made  too  large  concessions  to  the  caste  customs 
of  India.  It  must  be  admitted  that  he  provided 
separate  places  for  Sudras  and  for  Pariahs  in 
the  church.  This,  it  may  be  acknowledged,  was 
a  mistake.  No  doubt,  however,  this  also  made  the 
Sudras  more  accessible.  Of  the  250  who  were 
baptized  before  his  death,  in  1719,  more  than 
one-half,  or  147,  were  Sudras.  Ziegenbalg  re- 
garded caste  as  a  national  social  custom  which 
could  not  be  changed  at  once,  but  which  the 
power  of  the  Gospel  would  surely  destroy  as  it 
has  already  broken  down  slavery.  Those  who 
know  India  best  will  be  least  disposed  to  criticise 
him  in  this  opinion.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  Pariahs  had  from  time  immemorial  been 
entirely  excluded  from  even  entering  a  Hindu 
temple,  and  to  permit  them  to  worship  in  the 
same  building  with  Sudras  was  already  a  great 
blow  to  caste.  Ziegenbalg  was  exceedingly  con- 
scientious in  administering  church  discipline.  He 
was  the  faithful  pastor  who  watched  for  souls 
as  they  that  must  give  account — a  qualification 
much  needed  in  those  who  would  guide  and 
mold  a  church  just  rescued  from  paganism. 

Last  days  His  last  years  were  overshadowed  by  a  cloud 

which  may  have  hastened  his  end.  It  was  the 
opposition  of  the  Board  at  home  to  the  methods 
of  mission   work  which  he  pursued.     Catholic 


i 

Ci 

pl^^^^^Hk  V^ri^^^^H^  V               ^Bb' 

a 

i 

work 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG  61 

missionaries,  who  had  allowed  their  converts  to 
keep  all  their  old  pagan  customs,  had  larger 
accessions  than  Ziegenbalg,  who  insisted  on  care- 
ful instruction  and  strict  discipline,  could  show. 
This  brought  upon  him  the  complaint  of  the 
home  churches  that  the  results  of  his  work  were 
disappointing.  When  the  work  of  many  another 
mission  is  recalled,  where  it  took  years  of  patient 
toil  before  a  single  convert  was  baptized,  it  will 
be  seen  how  groundless  such  criticism  was.  It 
rightly  received  the  rebuke  which  Francke  felt 
called  upon  to  administer  to  it. 

The  more  serious  criticism,  however,  referred  Methods  of 
to  his  methods  of  work.  Those  who  made  it 
were  of  opinion  that  missionaries  ought  only 
to  preach  to  the  Gentiles,  and  as  soon  as  men 
became  Christians,  appoint  elders  from  among 
them  and  then  let  them  take  care  of  themselves, 
instead  of  monopolizing  so  much  of  the  mission- 
ary's time.  Ziegenbalg  had  not  indeed  during 
this  second  term  of  service  entirely  neglected  to 
preach  among  Hindus  and  Mohammedans.  It 
was  just  during  this  time  that  in  preaching  at 
Porto  Nuovo  he  narrowly  escaped  the  only 
danger  from  the  people  that  befell  him  during 
his  entire  missionary  life.  Large  crowds  of 
Hindus  and  Mohammedans  had  gathered  to  hear 
him  for  a  number  of  days.  The  last  day  the 
crowds  became  so  great  that  Ziegenbalg  found 
himself  compelled  to  retire  to  his  stopping  place. 
The  next  morning  a  large  crowd  gathered  around 
the  house  where  he  stopped  to  seize  him.    With- 


62  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

out  knowing  anything  about  it,  however,  he  had 
left  the  place  two  hours  before  and  so  escaped. 
But  while  not  neglecting  this  work  entirely  he 
did  give  the  church  and  schools  special  attention, 
and  this  was  severely  criticised.  A  resolution  of 
the  board,  which  voices  this  criticism,  reached 
India  only  after  his  death.  It  ordered  him  to 
close  up  and  destroy  all  such  forms  of  work  as 
hindered  him  in  doing  the  one  thing  for  which 
he  had  been  sent  out — to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
the  Gentiles.  Then  the  missionaries  were  charged 
with  worldliness.  A  request  for  an  increase  in 
his  salary  from  $200.00  to  $500.00  because  he 
now  had  a  family  to  support  evoked  this  criticism. 
Some  thought  he  ought  not  to  have  married. 
Why,  they  asked,  could  the  missionaries  not 
continue  to  live  in  native  style  as  they  had  the 
first  few  years  ?  He  was  allowed  $300.00  a  year, 
but  that  was  all  that  was  granted. 
Death  These  criticisms  by  friends  of  the  mission  were 

felt  more  keenly  than  had  the  active  opposition 
of  those  who,  like  the  former  governor,  had  no 
sympathy  with  mission  work.  Never  vigorous 
in  health,  having  from  his  student  days  on  suf- 
fered from  a  weak  stomach,  the  constant  labors 
and  worries  of  these  years  accentuated  his  con- 
stitutional weakness,  and  under  it  he  gradually 
sank.  Already  on  February  loth,  1719,  he  knew 
that  his  days  were  numbered,  and  he  delivered 
the  accounts  and  documents  of  the  mission  to 
Rev.  Griindler.  He  also  called  his  congregation 
to  him  and  gave  them  an  impressive   farewell 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG      63 

exhortation.  His  sickness  continued  for  two 
weeks  longer.  His  sufferings  during  his  last 
days  were  intense,  but  his  confidence  in  Jesus' 
blood  and  righteousness  sustained  him  to  the 
end.  Amidst  the  prayers  and  tears  of  the  friends 
present  he  fell  asleep  February  23d,  being  only 
thirty-five  years,  seven  months  and  eighteen  days 
old. 

This  left  Griindler  alone  in  the  work,  and  he  Results  of 
died  the  following  year.  The  brightest  days  of  ^°^^ 
the  Danish-Halle  Mission  had  not  yet  dawned. 
Yet  the  results  of  only  fourteen  years  of  labor 
must  be  regarded  as  nothing  short  of  marvelous. 
For  the  literary  work  alone  which  Ziegenbalg 
accomplished  this  time  would  seem  all  too  short 
for  a  man  of  average  endowments.  Yet  during 
this  time  he  founded  a  mission  which  in  its  ac- 
tivities attempted  all  the  phases  of  modern  mis- 
sion work  in  India  except  the  medical.  Even 
the  industrial  side  of  the  work  had  not  entirely 
been  neglected,  as  he  sought  to  provide  work  for 
his  people  by  furnishing  them  thread  and  en- 
abling them  to  weave.  He  left  a  Christian  com- 
munity of  about  200.  He  had  preached  the 
Gospel  as  far  as  Madras.  His  tracts  and  books 
drew  the  attention  of  learned  Brahmans  whom 
he  found  interested  wherever  he  went.  And  all 
this  he  did  on  a  new  and  untrodden  road,  in 
the  face  of  constant  opposition,  in  a  debiHtating 
climate,  where  he  spent  four  months  in  an  un- 
sanitary dungeon.  Well  might  he  end  his  days 
with  his  mind  directed  to  the  good  fight  of  the 


64  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  Ziegenbalg,  too, 
had  fought  the  good  fight,  he  had  kept  the  faith, 
and  then  he  received  the  crown.  To  that  crown, 
brilliant  because  of  his  fidelity  even  unto  death, 
is  given  this  added  glory  that  in  the  providence 
of  God  he  opened  the  way  for  Protestant  Chris- 
tianity to  enter  and  establish  itself  in  a  new  con- 
tinent. 
Themis-  A  word  about  the  future  of  the  Danish-Halle 

£sto^^^**'^  Mission  may  fittingly  close  this  sketch.  It  sent 
to  India  in  the  eighteenth  century  no  less  than 
56  men.  The  most  conspicuous  of  these  after 
Ziegenbalg  was  Schwartz  (1750- 1798),  to  whose 
memory  his  ward,  the  heir  to  the  throne  of  Tan- 
jore,  erected  a  monument  in  the  capital  of  the 
very  kingdom  which  Ziegenbalg  had  tried  in  vain 
to  enter.  At  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century 
it  is  estimated  that  the  mission  numbered  I5,cxx) 
Christians.  Under  the  wave  of  rationalism 
which  then  swept  over  Europe  interest  in  mis- 
sions almost  died  out.  The  missionaries  towards 
the  end  received  large  support  for  their  work 
from  England.  It  was  but  natural  that  English 
societies,  which  then  were  formed,  should  send 
English  missionaries,  and  so  the  AngUcan  mis- 
sions largely  reaped  the  fruits  of  the  labors  of 
the  Danish-Halle  missionaries.  That  Christianity 
has  had  just  in  the  Tamil  country  its  greatest 
triumphs  in  India  must  in  part  be  placed  to  their 
credit.  On  the  territory  on  which  those  early 
pioneers  labored  are  still,  however,  two*  Lu- 
*It  should  also  be  noted  that  in  1895  the  Missouri 


BARTHOLOMEW  ZIEGENBALG      65 

theran  missions,  which  are  the  rightful  successors 
of  those  early  pioneers.  They  are  the  Leipzig 
Mission,  with  headquarters  at  Tranquebar,  and 
the  Danish  Mission,  with  headquarters  at  Madras. 
The  old  Danish-Halle  Mission  itself  served  its 
day  and  passed  away.  Let  their  pioneer  work  be 
duly  credited  and  appreciated.  It  forms  one  of 
the  brightest  chapters  in  our  Lutheran  Church 
history,  which  is  too  often  forgotten.  Let  it  be 
a  call  for  heart-searching  examination,  however, 
whether  we,  the  children  of  such  pioneers,  have 
their  devotion,  zeal  and  enthusiasm.  The  Luth- 
eran Church  began  mission  work.  Sad  that  it 
did  not  continue  its  leadership !  May  the  devoted 
labors  of  Ziegenbalg  and  those  early  pioneers 
inspire  us  to  renewed  devotion  and  consecration, 
in  this  more  favored  time  with  its  larger  means 
and  greater  opportunities,  that  we  may  do  our 
part  in  completing  the  unfinished  task  of  making 
known  Christ  to  the  whole  world ! 

Synod   started  work  in  the  Madras  Presidency.     Be- 
fore this  date,  they  labored  with  the  Leipzig  Mission. 
They  have  now  seventeen  missionaries. — L.  B.  W. 
5 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ 


CHRISTIAN    FREDERICK    SCHWARTZ 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ 

BY  CHARLES    E.    HAY,   D.D. 

The  Church  in  America  is  slowly  coming  to 
appreciate  the  labors  of  the  great  pioneer  mission- 
ary, Christian  Frederick  Schwartz,  who  is  recog- 
nized by  historians  as  the  father  of  all  the 
non-Roman  missions  in  South  India.  He  was 
not  the  first  missionary  upon  this  field,  as  Ziegen- 
balg  and  Pliitschau  had  preceded  him  by  forty- 
four  years,  and  had  done  heroic  and  successful 
service.  But  it  remained  for  Schwartz  to  greatly 
extend  their  work  and  secure  for  Christianity 
a  position  of  permanent  and  commanding  in- 
fluence. 

Born  of  humble  parentage  at  Sonnenburg  in  Birth 
Prussia,  on  the  twenty-second  of  October,  1726, 
he  was  dedicated  to  the  Lord  in  holy  baptism 
when  but  five  days  old.  Five  years  later,  his 
mother  upon  her  death-bed  exacted  from  his 
father  a  promise  that  their  son  should  be  pre- 
pared for  the  gospel  ministry.  He  received  a 
careful  education  in  his  early  years  under  the 
direction  of  deeply  pious  teachers,  and  as  a  child 
found  great  delight  and  comfort  in  secret  prayer. 
When  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  entered  a  Latin 
school  at  Kuestrin,  and  continued  to  make  rapid 
progress  in  his  studies.  The  atmosphere  of  this 
institution  was  very  religious,  the  students  being 
69 


70  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

required  to  attend  several  services  weekly,  but 
the  timid  youth  found  no  one  to  whom  he  could 
venture  to  speak  of  the  inward  struggles  of  his 
soul. 
His  call  Attracted  by  accounts  of  the   deep   religious 

fervor  of  August  Hermann  Francke,  the  founder 
of  the  orphanage  at  Halle,  he  journeyed  to  that 
place  with  the  purpose  of  becoming  a  pupil  in 
the  school,  but  was  persuaded  by  Pastor  Ben- 
jamin Schultze,  a  returned  missionary  from 
Tranquebar,  in  view  of  his  classical  attainments 
to  enter  at  once  the  University  of  Halle.  While 
studying  here,  he  secured  rooms  and  boarding 
in  the  orphanage,  attending  the  prayer  meetings 
diligently  and  being  frequently  called  upon  to 
conduct  them  among  his  fellow-students,  with 
whom  he  was  very  popular.  Nevertheless,  his 
heart  was  not  at  rest.  He  was  so  deeply  sensible 
of  his  unworthiness  that  he  for  a  time  absented 
himself  from  the  Lord's  Supper.  He  constantly 
reproached  himself  for  his  lack  of  spiritual 
emotion,  and  was  so  worried  that  his  health 
became  seriously  affected.  Faithful  study  of  the 
divine  Word  at  length  led  him  to  recognize  and 
lay  hold  upon  the  free  grace  of  God  as  the  only 
ground  of  salvation,  and  his  soul  found  peace. 
The  call  to  missionary  labor  came  entirely 
without  his  seeking.  Pastor  Schultze,  who  had 
befriended  him,  was  engaged  in  a  revision  of 
the  Bible  in  the  Tamil  tongue,  and,  feeling  the 
need  of  assistance,  persuaded  Schwartz  and  an- 
other student  to  make  special  study  of  the  forms 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        71 

and  idioms  of  that  language.  His  rapid  progress 
in  this  foreign  tongue  greatly  surprised  his  teach- 
ers. About  this  time  he  was  called  upon  to 
preach  his  first  sermon,  and  selected  as  his  text: 
"But  at  Thy  word  I  will  let  down  the  nets."  We 
have  no  record  of  the  efifect  of  this  discourse 
upon  the  hearers,  but  Schwartz  himself  in  his 
later  years  always  regarded  the  choice  of  it  as 
the  unconscious  answer  of  his  soul  to  a  divine 
call  and  a  solemn  dedication  of  his  life  to  mis- 
sionary labors.  When,  however,  he  was  asked 
a  year  later  whether  he  would  consider  a  call  to 
the  missionary  field,  he  replied  that  he  was  not 
fitted  for  such  responsible  work;  and  when  the 
call  was  received  from  Pastor  G.  A.  Francke,  he 
actually  declined  it.  But  when  it  was  renewed 
with  added  emphasis,  he  recognized  it  as  the 
voice  of  the  Master  and  accepted  it  with  the 
prayer:  "May  God,  who  has  called  me,  anoint 
me  with  His  Spirit  and  make  me  fit  for  this 
high  office." 

Two  other  students  from  Halle  were  ap-  ^jj 
pointed  to  accompany  Schwartz.  They  were  to  companions 
labor  as  "royal  Danish  missionaries"  in  a  small 
colony  established  at  Tranquebar  by  the  Danish 
East  India  Company,  whose  territory  contained  a 
population  of  about  twenty  thousand.  Through 
the  labors  of  their  predecessors,  Ziegenbalg  and 
Plutschau,  two  congregations  had  been  organ- 
ized, one  among  the  foreign  and  mixed  popu- 
lation and  a  much  larger  one,  numbering  more 
than  sixteen  hundred  members,  among  the  na- 


72  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

tives.  The  missionaries  had  not  been  permitted 
to  penetrate  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  colony, 
but  copies  of  the  Gospels  and  Acts  having  found 
their  way  into  the  outlying  villages,  a  number 
of  the  natives  had  come  to  Tranquebar  for 
catechetical  instruction.  Several  native  congre- 
gations had  thus  grown  up,  which  at  this  time 
counted  a  membership  of  3555,  and  were  served 
by  native  pastors.  As  was  to  be  expected  under 
the  circumstances,  the  conceptions  of  Christian 
truth  upon  the  part  of  these  people,  and  even 
of  their  pastors,  were  very  imperfect,  and  their 
lives  were  often  marked  by  grave  inconsistencies. 
They  were  veritable  "babes  in  Christ,"  when 
not,  as  too  often,  merely  nominal  Christians  lack- 
ing all  real  piety. 
Joining  the  After  official  examination  and  ordination  at 
fi«^^  Copenhagen,  Schwartz  and  his  companions  spent 

some  weeks  in  London,  gaining  a  partial  knowl- 
edge of  the  English  language.  On  the  twenty- 
ninth  of  January,  1750,  they  set  sail.  The  ship 
upon  which  they  had  intended  to  embark  was 
lost  at  sea.  Their  own  vessel  encountered  storms 
and  was  compelled  to  return  to  land.  The  final 
embarkation  was  on  the  twelfth  of  ]\Iarch.  The 
voyage  lasted  over  four  months,  during  three 
weeks  of  which  time  Schwartz  lay  critically  ill 
with  a  raging  fever.  On  the  thirtieth  of  July, 
they  entered  Tranquebar,  their  hearts  filled  with 
gratitude  and  joy. 

With  characteristic  energy,  Schwartz  now  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  study  of  the  Portuguese  and 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        73 

Tamil  languages.  The  technical  study  of  the 
latter  at  Halle  had  given  him  some  knowledge 
of  its  chief  forms,  but  it  was  still  a  remarkable 
achievement  that  he  was  able  to  preach  to  a 
Tamil  congregation  in  their  native  tongue  within 
four  months  of  his  arrival,  and  a  month  later  to 
hold  the  delighted  interest  of  the  native  children 
in  a  graphic  recital  of  the  Christmas  story. 

With  the  opening  of  the  new  year  he  was  given  garly  labors 
regular  charge  of  the  schools  for  boys  and  girls, 
who  became  greatly  attached  to  him.  He  en- 
joyed this  work  exceedingly  and  instructed  his 
pupils  very  thoroughly  in  the  teachings  of  the 
Bible,  laying  deep  foundations  for  the  develop- 
ment of  Christian  character  and  thus  building 
up  the  congregations  within  the  colony. 

But  this  comparatively  pleasant  task  did  not 
satisfy  his  heart,  yearning  for  more  genuine  mis- 
sionary work  among  the  teeming  multitudes  of 
heathen.  He  studied  their  customs  and  manner 
of  life,  making  frequent  journeys  to  the  outlying 
villages  of  the  colony,  preaching  to  the  natives 
gathering  on  the  streets  and  by  the  wayside.  For 
five  years  he  pored  over  the  native  literature,  that 
he  might  be  brought  into  closer  sympathy  with 
the  educated  classes  and  be  able  to  adapt  his  mes- 
sage to  their  needs.  He  engaged  bright  young 
men  to  read  to  him  several  hours  daily,  that  he 
might  catch  the  inflection  of  voice  and  the  precise 
accent  of  the  native  language,  and  thus  make  his 
preaching  more  effective.  But  political  condi- 
tions for  a  time  interfered  with  the  execution  of 


Christians 


74  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

his  desire  to  extend  his  actual  labors  beyond  the 
borders  of  the  colony.  His  growing  reputation, 
however,  drew  many  from  the  adjoining  territory 
of  Tanjore  to  sit  at  his  feet  as  catechumens.  The 
course  of  instruction  lasted  in  each  case  two 
hours  daily  for  six  weeks.  An  occasional  visit  to 
the  English  missionaries  at  Madras  and  Cudda- 
lore  gave  opportunities  for  excursions  by  the  way 
into  purely  heathen  regions,  which  he  eagerly  em- 
braced, and,  as  in  the  journeys  of  the  Apostle 
Paul,  Christian  congregations  sprang  up  in  his 
pathway. 
Imperfect  During  the  early  years  of  his  ministry,  the 

soul  of  the  faithful  missionary  was  sorely  tried 
by  the  imperfections  of  the  native  Christians. 
Many  even  of  his  catechists  and  native  preachers 
were  guilty  of  grave  offences  against  morality. 
Measuring  them  by  the  high  standard  which  he 
had  set  for  his  own  conduct,  he  at  first  thought 
of  prompt  and  severe  discipline  as  the  only 
proper  course,  but,  realizing  the  serious  nature 
of  the  problem,  he  concluded  to  first  ask  advice 
of  the  experienced  leaders  of  missionary  enter- 
prise at  Halle.  They  wisely  counseled  him  to 
remember  the  deep  pit  of  degradation  from  which 
these  poor  creatures  had  been  but  recently  res- 
cued and  to  bear  patiently  with  their  failings, 
trusting  to  the  uplifting  power  of  the  truth  faith- 
fully presented  to  gradually  effect  a  transfor- 
mation in  the  moral  character  of  his  people. 

It  was  at  this  juncture   that  the   missionary 
himself  passed  through  a  severe  inward  conflict. 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        75 

Testing  himself  by  the  stern  requirements  of  the 
law,  he  became  deeply  conscious  of  his  own  im- 
perfections. He  recalled  the  errors  of  his  student  Inward 
days,  and  was  greatly  oppressed  in  spirit,  feeling  *^°°  '^ 
himself  unfit  to  stand  before  the  heathen  as  a 
representative  of  Christ.  Deeply  humiliated,  he 
wrote  again  to  his  spiritual  advisers  at  Halle  and 
under  their  loving  direction  was  led  to  see  more 
clearly  that  salvation  is  the  free  gift  of  God's 
grace,  not  to  those  who  are  without  sin,  but  to 
the  sinful  and  unworthy.  Henceforth  he  labored 
with  new  hope.  Made  conscious  of  his  own 
failings,  he  became  wonderfully  tolerant  and 
patient  with  the  errors  of  the  poor  heathen  con- 
verts. He  still  denounced  sin  unsparingly,  but 
excelled  all  his  associates  in  his  tender  love  for 
the  sinning.  It  was  this  trait  which  bound  to 
him  the  hearts  of  the  multitudes  and  made  pos- 
sible his  long  and  remarkable  career.  Twelve 
years  of  faithful  toil  had  now  prepared  him  for 
more  independent  labors  in  a  wider  field. 

A  few  miles  westward  from  the  boundary  of  Call  to 
Tranquebar  lay  the  city  of  Tanjore,  the  seat  of  2!'V'i°.''*  *"^. 
the  native  government.  Up  to  the  year  1755, 
foreign  missionaries  had  been  forbidden  to  enter 
its  gates,  although  native  Christian  pastors  were 
permitted  to  care  for  their  flocks.  In  this  year 
a  German  officer,  whose  wife  had  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  European  congregation  in  Tanquebar, 
secured  from  the  king  permission  for  an  occa- 
sional visit  of  foreign  missionaries  to  minister 
to  the  European  Christians  of  the  city,  an  oppor- 


76  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

tunity  which  Schwartz  was  not  slow  to  embrace. 
He  and  his  associates  were  not  allowed  to  tarry 
long,  but  they  observed  the  field,  and  their  very 
presence  paved  the  way  for  later  developments. 
Trichinopoli  jn  1762  they  pressed  farther  westward  to  Tri- 
chinopoli.  This  was  the  most  important  inland 
city  of  southeastern  India.  For  years  various 
aspirants  for  the  throne  had  struggled  for  its 
possession,  and  the  governments  of  France  and 
England  had  contended  bitterly  for  its  control. 
The  English  had  finally  gained  the  supremacy 
and  established  a  strong  garrison  to  guard  their 
interests,  although  allowing  the  nabob,  Moham- 
med Ali,  to  remain  the  nominal  ruler.  The  city 
was  the  center  of  idolatry  for  the  entire  region. 
In  its  midst  rose  a  massive  granite  hill,  273  feet 
in  height,  whose  summit  was  crowned  with  a 
temple  dedicated  to  the  elephant  god,  Ganesa, 
while  midway  up  the  slope  was  a  large  and 
magnificent  temple  of  the  god  Siva.  The  wor- 
shipers of  Vishnu  had  erected  immense  pagodas 
in  an  island  suburb  of  the  city,  and  the  Moham- 
medans had  a  large  mosque.  In  the  midst  of 
this  rampant  heathenism  our  missionaries  found 
a  little  company  of  native  Christians,  who  most 
gratefully  received  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  at  their  hands.  But  what  could  this  little 
flock  of  humble  believers  accomplish  in  such  a 
stronghold  of  idolatry?  Saddened  at  heart,  the 
missionaries  prepared  to  return  to  their  field  of 
labor  at  Tranquebar. 

But  unexpectedly  a  great  door  of  opportunity 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        77 

was  thrown  open  to  thcni.  The  officers  of  the 
garrison  begged  them  to  remain,  offering  to  erect 
a  house  of  worship  at  their  own  expense,  repre- 
senting the  spiritual  destitution  of  both  the 
European  residents  and  the  native  Christians, 
and  telHng  of  the  desire  of  many  among  the 
heathen  for  instruction  in  the  Christian  rehgion. 
The  plea  was  irresistible,  and  it  was  agreed  that 
Schwartz  should  remain  for  a  season  at  Trichino- 
poli.  He  at  once  inaugurated  various  lines  of 
work.  He  established  a  school  for  the  orphan 
children  of  English  soldiers,  began  catechetical 
instruction  with  the  youth,  and  preached  every 
Sunday  in  the  Tamil,  Portuguese  and  German 
languages.  Each  of  these  services  lasted  two 
hours,  and  the  intervals  were  occupied  by  the 
tireless  evangelist  in  private  interviews  with  the 
inquiring.  Having  occasion  to  visit  Tanjore, 
the  commandant  of  the  garrison  exacted  from 
him  a  promise  of  early  return,  and  to  his  amaze- 
ment the  field  of  opportunity  had  meanwhile 
greatly  widened  at  Tanjore.  The  rajah  now 
cordially  welcomed  him,  giving  him  liberty  to 
visit  the  court  and  palace  at  will  and  to  preach 
in  the  native  language.  The  heir  to  the  throne 
became  a  regular  worshiper  at  his  services,  and 
the  rajah  himself  on  one  occasion  appeared  in 
disguise. 

What  shall  the  lonely  herald  of  the  Cross  now  Conflicting 
do?     His  official  duties  as  a  missionary  of  the  duties 
Danish  colony  are  awaiting  him  at  Tranquebar. 
Yet  he  dare  not  violate  his  promise  of  return  to 


78 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Training 

native 

workers 


Trichinopoli,  where  a  large  number  of  new  in- 
quirers have  appeared,  eager  for  instruction  at 
his  hands.  He  fulfills  his  promise,  but  the  work 
continues  to  grow  and  his  brethren  at  Tranque- 
bar,  whom  he  occasionally  visits,  agree  that  it 
would  be  a  great  sin  to  neglect  the  golden  oppor- 
tunities for  winning  souls  under  the  very  shadow 
of  the  greatest  heathen  temples  of  the  land.  In 
the  midst  of  all  this  labor,  he  undertakes  the 
study  of  two  additional  languages,  the  Hindu- 
stani, in  order  that  he  may  reach  the  Moham- 
medans, and  the  Persian,  which  was  the  language 
of  the  court.  His  Persian  instructor  becomes  an 
ardent  Christian  and  fellow-laborer,  but  the  Mo- 
hammedan nabob,  while  expressing  the  deepest 
admiration  for  the  character  of  Schwartz,  thwarts 
all  his  efforts  to  evangelize  the  Mohammedans. 

No  restrictions  were,  however,  placed  upon  his 
labors  among  the  heathen  population  of  the  city 
and  surrounding  territory.  Realizing  the  need 
of  assistance  in  the  work,  he  gathered  around 
him  numbers  of  the  brightest  of  his  converts  and 
appointed  them  catechists  to  labor  under  his 
immediate  supervision.  They  accompanied  him 
upon  his  preaching  tours,  and  as  soon  as  suffi- 
ciently advanced  he  sent  them  out  two  by  two 
to  tell  to  their  countrymen  the  story  of  the  Cross. 
Every  morning  they  gathered  at  his  home  for 
instruction  and  prayer,  and  each  evening  they 
brought  him  report  of  their  labors.  His  influence 
over  these  men  was  most  extraordinary.  His 
own  exalted  character  appeared  reflected  in  their 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        79 

lives,  and  his  power  for  good  thus  extended 
throughout  the  entire  community.  His  personal 
appearance  at  this  time  is  thus  described  by  an 
English  traveler,  who,  aware  of  his  reputation 
for  piety  and  zeal,  expected  to  see  a  man  of  stern 
and  forbidding  countenance : 

"The  first  glance  compelled  me  to  change  my 
preconceived  idea  of  the  man.  His  clothing  was 
indeed  rather  threadbare  and  old-fashioned  in 
cut,  but  in  his  whole  bearing  there  was  nothing 
dark  or  repulsive.  Picture  to  yourself  a  man 
somewhat  inclined  to  corpulency,  of  erect  bearing 
and  artless  manner,  of  rather  dark  but  healthy 
complexion,  with  black  curly  hair  and  a  manly 
countenance  fairly  beaming  with  sincere  modesty, 
directness  and  goodwill — and  you  may  have  some 
conception  of  the  impression  which  Schwartz  at 
once  made  upon  a  stranger." 

Meanwhile,  still  another  sphere  of  usefulness  Begins  work 

was  opening.     The  English  garrison,  embracing  among 
,  ,.         r  /--  •  1  ■   •       soldiers 

many  soldiers  from  Germany,  was  without  spirit- 
ual oversight.  The  men  naturally  drifted  into 
all  manner  of  vice,  and  their  ungodly  lives  were 
little  calculated  to  impress  the  heathen  with  the 
superior  morality  of  the  Christian  lands  from 
which  they  came.  At  the  request  of  the  com- 
mandant, Major  Preston,  Schwartz  undertook  in 
his  broken  English  to  read  to  them  the  service 
of  the  Church,  and,  after  heroic  struggles  with 
the  language,  was  soon  able  to  preach  acceptably 
in  English.  The  soldiers  rallied  round  him.  A 
large  number  having  been  killed  by  an  explosion 


80  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

in  the  arsenal,  he  established  an  orphanage  for 
their  children,  in  which  he  himself  gave  instruc- 
tion until  a  suitable  teacher  could  be  found. 
After  a  great  battle  at  Madura,  he  entered  the 
hospitals  and  lovingly  ministered  to  the  spiritual 
wants  of  five  hundred  wounded  and  dying  men. 
In  recognition  of  the  heroic  and  valuable  services 
thus  rendered,  the  government  presented  a  large 
sum  of  money,  which  was  increased  by  generous 
personal  gifts  from  officers  in  the  army,  all  of 
which  was  gratefully  received  and  devoted  en- 
tirely to  the  enlargement  of  his  missionary  work. 
Before  long  he  had  the  great  joy  of  dedicating  a 
large  and  beautiful  church  at  the  very  base  of 
the  rock  on  which  the  heathen  temples  towered 
aloft.  The  idolaters  might  have  the  hill-top ;  the 
Christian  missionary  preferred  to  erect  the  stand- 
ard of  the  Cross  where  the  multitudes  passed 
to  and  fro. 
Severs  his  The  astonishing  success  of  Schwartz's  efforts 

connection      ^t  TrichinopoH  and  the  increasing  demands  made 

with  Danish  ,  .         ,  ,,     ,  -  .  ,  ,  . 

society  upon  huTi  there  compelled  hmi  to  leave  his  regu- 

lar work  in  the  Danish  mission  at  Tranquebar 
almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  his  associates. 
He  visited  them  occasionally,  but,  greatly  as  they 
missed  his  guiding  presence,  they  were  unani- 
mous in  their  judgment  that  he  dare  not  forsake 
the  field  providentially  opened  to  him  in  the  great 
heathen  city.  Others  might  take  his  place  in  the 
comparatively  limited  field  at  Tranquebar,  but 
at  TrichinopoH  the  whole  work  centered  in 
Schwartz  himself.    His  personal  influence  there 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        81 

opened  doors  of  opportunity  on  every  hand. 
Yet  he  could  not  continue  to  serve  both  fields. 
Just  at  this  juncture  he  was  offered  the  English 
chaplaincy  of  the  large  garrison.  This  would 
bring  him  into  still  closer  touch  with  the  soldiers, 
many  of  whom  he  had  already  won,  and  would 
give  him  abundant  means  for  the  prosecution  of 
his  great  chosen  work  among  the  native  heathen 
in  the  city  and  surrounding  country. 

After  long  and  prayerful  deliberation,  he  felt  Becomes 
it  to  be  his  duty  to  accept  this  call,  and  accord-  "jScJ^J  °'^ 
ingly  in  1767  severed  his  official  relations  with  England 
the  Danish  society  and  became  a  missionary  of 
the  Church  of  England.  This  was  done,  how- 
ever, with  the  distinct  understanding  that  he 
would  not  thereby  compromise  his  position  as  a 
Lutheran  minister,  but  should  continue  to  preach 
the  doctrines  of  his  own  faith  as  heretofore.  No 
difficulty  resulted  from  this  somewhat  unnatural 
relationship  during  the  lifetime  of  Schwartz,  but, 
as  might  have  been  anticipated,  the  missions  es- 
tablished by  him  eventually  passed  entirely  under 
the  control  of  the  Church  of  England.  Thus,  as 
in  many  other  instances,  our  Lutheran  Church 
laid  broad  and  deep  foundations  by  faithful 
pioneer  work  in  a  most  difficult  field  and  then 
allowed  others  to  step  in  and  reap  the  benefit. 

Five  years  later,  one  of  his  colleagues,  visiting 
Schwartz  at  Trichinopoli,  was  astounded  at  the 
results  of  his  labors  there.  He  writes :  "He  is 
a  missionary  through  and  through,  full  of  life 
and  energy.  .  .  .  His  only  recreation  is  found 
G 


82  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

in  changing  from  one  occupation  to  another,  and 
he  undertakes  each  new  task  with  as  much  energy 
as  though  he  had  been  doing  nothing  before.  He 
is  doing  alone  the  work  of  several  missionaries."  , 

Under  his  fatherly  care,  the  entire  character 
of  the  garrison  was  changed.  The  rude  soldiers 
became  outspoken  Christians,  assembling  every 
evening  for  prayer,  and  aided  their  beloved  chap- 
lain in  many  ways  in  his  missionary  labors.  He 
trained  large  numbers  of  catechists,  meeting  with 
them  twice  daily,  as  was  his  custom.  Even  the 
unconverted  heathen  and  the  Mohammedans 
learned  to  revere  him,  and  his  influence  with  all 
classes  was  unbounded. 
Schwartz  But  the  Lord  had  meanwhile  been  preparing 

and  the  another  field  for  His  faithful  servant.    The  reign- 

rajah  ing  monarch,  or  rajah,  of  Tanjore  had  when  but 

a  prince  been  deeply  impressed  with  the  character 
of  the  strange  foreign  teacher  and  now  hoped  for 
his  assistance  in  the  adjustment  of  certain  grave 
political  difficulties.  Schwartz  was  accordingly 
invited  to  the  palace  and  granted  an  extended 
interview,  of  which  he  has  left  us  a  very  vivid 
description.  The  rajah  reclined  upon  his  couch 
with  his  officers  about  him,  while  the  missionary, 
seated  at  a  distance  of  ten  feet,  explained  the 
leading  doctrines  of  the  Christian  religion,  and 
urged  their  personal  acceptance.  Frequent  inter- 
views followed,  and  the  rajah  appeared  at  times 
almost  ready  to  renounce  idolatry  and  lead  his 
people  with  him  into  the  Christian  fold.  To  this 
end    Schwartz    faithfully   labored,   learning   the 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        83 

Mahratta  language  in  order  that  he  might  bring 
all  possible  influence  to  bear  in  hope  of  winning 
an  entire  province  to  at  least  an  outward  accep- 
tance of  Christianity.  This  hope  was  never  real- 
ized. Tulassi,  bound  by  the  fetters  of  tradition 
and  dissipation,  listened  with  interest  to  the  thrill- 
ing appeals,  but  died  as  he  had  lived,  a  heathen. 

It  was  the  friendship  of  this  native  ruler,  how-  Settles  at 
ever,  which  opened  a  new  door  of  opportunity  Tanjore 
so  inviting  that  the  intrepid  seeker  for  souls 
could  not  hesitate  to  enter  it.  Leaving  the  now 
established  work  at  Trichinopoli  in  the  care  of 
others,  and  gradually  relinquishing  his  labors 
there,  he  settled  at  Tanjore  in  1778  in  a  house 
presented  to  him  by  the  rajah.  In  a  very  short 
time  we  find  two  substantial  churches  as  evidence 
of  his  efficiency,  one  for  Europeans  within  the 
bounds  of  the  garrison,  and  the  other,  for  native 
converts,  situated  a  mile  or  two  from  the  city, 
around  which  there  speedily  gathered  a  flourish- 
ing Christian  community.  In  this  city  the  seat 
of  government  for  a  thickly-populated  province 
covering  3600  square  miles,  proud  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  most  magnificent  temple  in  southern 
India,  were  spent  twelve  busy  years.  As  at  Tri- 
chinopoli, a  marvelous  change  came  over  the 
garrison.  School-houses  were  built,  in  which  in- 
struction was  given  in  English  and  in  Tamil. 
The  chaplain  was  accustomed  to  say:  "When 
things  go  wrong  anywhere,  I  hurry  oflF  and  cate- 
chise my  children  for  an  hour,  and  the  bitter  be- 
comes sweet."    It  was  here  that  he  established  his 


84 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Schwartz 
and  the 
robbers 


celebrated  provincial  schools,  supported  by  the 
local  rajah,  for  the  education  of  the  native  chil- 
dren in  English,  it  being  distinctly  stipulated  that 
the  Christian  religion  should  be  openly  taught  in 
them.  These  became  the  basis  of  the  entire 
school  system  of  the  English  government  in 
India. 

The  neighborhood  had  for  many  years  been 
infested  by  a  tribe  of  professional  robbers,  known 
as  the  Galleries,  who  had  repulsed  all  attempts 
to  subdue  them  by  force  or  win  them  to  an 
honest  course  of  life.  But  when  the  venerable 
missionary  came  among  them,  they  recognized 
at  once  a  true  friend,  forsook  their  roving  habits, 
and  at  his  advice  began  to  cultivate  the  soil. 
He  helped  them  in  many  ways,  introducing  silk- 
culture  as  a  means  of  livelihood,  and  gathering 
their  children  into  schools. 

Schwartz  was  now  regarded  as  the  patriarch 
among  the  missionaries  of  India.  He  traveled 
extensively  to  advise  struggling  missions  and  ex- 
tend the  sphere  of  Christian  influence,  journey- 
ing as  far  south  as  Tinneveli  and  laying  there 
the  foundation  of  a  congregation  which  had  a 
remarkable  development. 

Not  long  after  his  settlement  at  Tanjore,  the 
city  was  besieged  by  Haider  Ali,  the  sultan  of 
Mysore.  Foreseeing  the  coming  calamity,  the 
missionary  had,  like  another  Joseph,  bought  up 
and  stored  away  large  quantities  of  rice,  which 
now  saved  multitudes  from  starvation.  The 
sultan,   having  met   Schwartz   upon   a  previous 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        85 

occasion  upon  an  embassy  of  peace,  gave  orders 
that  he  should  be  permitted  at  all  times  to  pass 
through  the  lines  unmolested,  officially  declaring, 
"for  he  is  a  holy  man."  At  one  period  of  the 
siege,  while  the  way  was  yet  open  for  entrance 
to  the  city,  no  provisions  could  be  obtained  be- 
cause the  farmers  of  the  surrounding  territory 
had  no  confidence  in  the  honesty  of  the  officials. 
But  when  Schwartz  personally  guaranteed  pay- 
ment, a  thousand  cattle  were  delivered  within 
two  days. 

The  unbounded  popularity  of  the  man  of  God  Accept 
now  brought  upon  him  many  embarrassing  re-  commission 
sponsibilities.  The  rajah,  Tulassi,  having  become 
enfeebled  and  incapacitated  for  conducting  the 
government,  a  special  commission  was  appointed 
by  the  governor  of  the  Madras  presidency  to 
manage  all  the  civil  affairs  of  the  province  while 
allowing  the  rajah  to  retain  his  nominal  position. 
Schwartz  was,  to  his  dismay,  made  the  head  of 
this  commission,  the  other  members  being  the 
commandant  of  the  garrison  and  the  two  chief 
civil  officers,  all  of  whom  were  expressly  in- 
structed to  follow  the  advice  of  the  missionary 
in  all  things.  In  1787,  while  attending  an  or- 
dination service  at  Tranquebar,  Schwartz  was 
hastily  summoned  to  the  bedside  of  the  dying 
rajah,  who,  having  adopted  a  nephew  of  ten  years 
as  his  son  and  heir,  now  solemnly  committed  the 
lad  to  the  care  of  the  missionary,  saying:  "This 
is  your  son ;  I  give  him  into  your  hands."  As 
this  would  have  made   Schwartz   regent  in  the 


86 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Becomes 
regeut 


Always  a 
missionary 


province  until  the  boy,  Sharabhoji,  became  of  age, 
he  decHned  the  honor  and  induced  the  dying  man 
to  appoint  his  own  brother  instead.  The  latter 
ruled  with  an  iron  hand,  confining  Sharabhoji 
at  one  time  for  two  years  in  a  dark  dungeon,  and 
so  abused  his  authority  that  he  was  deposed  and 
Schwartz  appointed  as  regent  under  circum- 
stances which  made  it  practically  impossible  for 
him  to  escape  the  responsibility.  The  oversight 
and  training  of  the  young  prince  and  the  man- 
agement of  all  affairs  of  the  local  government 
were  now  committed  to  his  care.  The  various 
officials  reported  to  him  regularly  at  the  mission- 
house.  The  memory  of  the  two  years  of  good 
government  under  the  "king-priest"  were  long 
cherished  in  the  community.  As  soon  as  possible, 
he  turned  over  the  government  to  his  intelligent 
and  capable  pupil,  but,  despite  his  protests,  was 
still  consulted  in  all  matters  of  importance  in  the 
city  and  province.  Sharabhoji  reverenced  his 
teacher,  and,  though  he  never  openly  professed 
Christianity,  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  mission 
and  did  much  to  encourage  his  Christian  subjects. 
In  undertaking  all  the  secular  duties  thus  im- 
posed upon  him,  the  missionary  was  never  lost 
in  the  statesman.  He  still  gathered  his  children 
and  catechumens  about  him  daily,  preached  when- 
ever a  little  company  of  people  could  be  as- 
sembled, and  superintended  the  labors  of  the  in- 
creasing number  of  missionaries  sent  by  various 
European  societies  to  India.  These  all  recog- 
nized him  as  their  real  leader,  and  it  was  univer- 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        87 

sally  felt  that  the  first  preparatory  step  for 
successful  missionary  labor  in  southern  India  was 
to  catch  the  inspiration  and  receive  the  counsel 
of  the  untitled  missionary  bishop  at  Tanjore. 
Around  his  residence  building  after  building  was 
erected — chapels,  school-houses,  seminaries,  mis- 
sionary homes,  etc. — all  surrounded  by  beautiful 
gardens,  filled  with  rare  tropical  plants.  What 
a  refuge  for  the  wearied  and  perhaps  discouraged 
catechist !  What  a  scene  of  beauty  and  peace  to 
allure  the  steps  of  the  hopeless  devotee  of  a 
heartless  idolatry !  But  the  central  attraction  for 
all  alike  was  the  radiant  countenance  of  the 
grand  old  man,  upon  whom  his  seventy  years 
rested  so  lightly — never  too  tired  to  entertain  the 
humblest  visitor,  always  ready  to  help  by  word 
or  deed  in  any  perplexity.  An  invalid  missionary 
who  visited  him  in  1795  thus  writes : 

"His  transparent  sincerity,  his  unselfishness  A  notable 
and  conscientiousness,  his  activity  and  zeal  for  *"''™°"y 
the  welfare  of  the  mission,  his  thoughtfulness  in 
providing  means  of  livelihood  for  the  native 
Christians  as  well  as  ministering  to  their  spiritual 
needs,  his  prudence,  brotherly  love  and  practical 
benevolence,  his  fervor  in  prayer,  his  remarkable 
ability  to  hold  the  attention  of  the  most  mixed 
assemblage  and  to  administer  rebuke  with  such 
a  friendly  spirit  that  the  most  proud  and  sensi- 
tive could  take  no  offence — these,  with  his  other 
rare  qualities,  make  him  esteemed  and  loved  by 
all.  Even  his  outward  appearance,  his  silver- 
white,  curly  hair,  his  bright  eye  and  open  coun- 


88  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

tenance,   awaken   love  and   reverence.     I   spent 
eight  days  most  pleasantly  with  this  patriarchal 
man,  and  in  his  society  almost  forgot  that  I  was 
sick." 
The  end  In  October,  1797,  being  taken  suddenly  ill  and 

feeling  that  his  end  was  approaching,  the  aged 
missionary  sent  for  Rajah  Sharabhoji,  admon- 
ished him  earnestly  as  to  his  duties  as  a  ruler,  and 
pleaded  with  him  to  give  himself  to  Christ.  He 
then  partook  reverently  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
and,  closing  his  eyes,  said  calmly:  "My  whole 
meditation  is  upon  the  death  of  Christ  and  that 
I  may  become  like  Him."  He  rallied  from  this 
attack,  and  friends  were  amazed  to  find  him  some 
days  later  in  the  center  of  a  group  of  sixty 
children,  teaching  as  of  old.  At  length,  overcome 
by  weakness,  on  the  13th  of  February,  1798,  he 
gathered  the  little  mission  family  about  him, 
commending  them  to  God,  and  with  the  words, 
"Into  Thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit.  Thou 
hast  redeemed  me,  Thou  faithful  God,"  fell 
peacefully  asleep  in  Jesus.  His  final  message  to 
his  scattered  co-laborers  in  India  was,  "Tell  the 
brethren  always  to  keep  the  chief  thing  in  view." 
Amid  universal  expressions  of  grief,  the  re- 
mains were  laid  to  rest  beneath  the  altar  of  the 
church,  which  was  twice  filled  to  overflowing, 
the  services  being  conducted  first  in  the  English 
and  then  in  the  Tamil  language.  Rajah  Shara- 
bhoji, who  followed  the  bier  as  a  chief  mourner, 
erected   a   marble   monument,   representing   the 


CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  SCHWARTZ        89 

memorable  death-bed  scene,  in  which  he  is  him- 
self pictured  kissing  the  hand  of  his  dying  bene- 
factor. The  East  India  Company  placed  in  the 
church  at  Madras  a  splendid  memorial,  also  de-  Memorials 
picting  the  departing  saint,  his  bed  surrounded  by 
weeping  orphans  and  missionaries,  his  hand  point- 
ing upward  to  a  Cross  borne  by  angels.  This 
monument  bears  the  inscription  :  "Sacred  to  the 

MEMORY    OF    CHRISTIAN     FREDERICK    SCHWARTZ, 

whose  life  was  one  continued  effort  to  imitate  the 
example  of  his  blessed  Master.  He,  during  a 
period  of  fifty  years,  'went  about  doing  good.' 
In  him  religion  appeared  not  with  a  gloomy  aspect 
or  forbidding  mien,  but  with  a  graceful  form  and 
placid  dignity.  Beloved  and  honored  by  Eu- 
ropeans, he  was,  if  possible,  held  in  still  deeper 
reverence  by  the  natives  of  this  country  of  every 
degree  and  every  sect.  The  poor  and  the  injured 
looked  up  to  him  as  an  unfailing  friend  and  ad- 
vocate. The  great  and  powerful  concurred  in 
yielding  him  the  highest  homage  ever  paid  in 
this  quarter  of  the  globe  to  European  virtue." 

This  inscription  was  translated  into  all  the  na- 
tive languages  and  freely  distributed  throughout 
southern  India.  It  was  felt  that,  more  than  all 
other  agencies  combined,  the  example  of  this 
godly  man  and  the  memory  of  his  unselfish  life 
would  tend  to  uplift  the  native  multitudes. 

While,  as  we  have  seen,  the  Tanjore  and  Tri- 
chinopoli  Stations  have  passed  into  other  than 
Lutheran  hands,  the  Church  of  Christ  still  flour- 


90  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

ishes  there  and  Lutheran  missionaries  from  Ger- 
many and  from  our  American  Synods  are  still 
building  in  India  upon  the  foundations  so  deeply 
and  broadly  laid  by  this  pioneer  Lutheran  of  the 
eighteenth  century. 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER 


JOHN    CHRISTIAN   FREDERICK    HEYER 


JOHN   CHRISTIAN   FREDERICK   HEYER 

BY   L.    B.    WOLF,   D.D. 

John  Christian  Frederick  Heyer,  third  child  Birth 
and  second  son  of  John  Henry  GottHeb  and 
Sophie  Johanna  Wagener  Heyer,  was  born  in  the 
Duchy  of  Brunswick,  Germany,  at  Helmstedt, 
July  lOth,  1793.  His  father  was  a  burgher  and  by 
trade  a  furrier.  Both  father  and  mother  were 
godly  and  pious  and  devoted  to  the  Church. 
They  trained  their  son  in  the  doctrines  of  their 
Church.  He  showed  considerable  aptitude  and 
at  an  early  age  attended  the  village  school. 

He  was  born  in  stirring  times,  in  his  native 
country.  All  Europe  was  in  turmoil,  revolution- 
ary ideas  prevailed,  and  in  the  background  the 
"man  of  fate,"  Napoleon,  was  looming  on  the 
horizon.  A  very  storm  of  rationalism  was  beat- 
ing upon  the  strongholds  of  faith,  and  truth  was 
on  the  scaffold,  about  to  be  hurled  from  her 
throne. 

At  13  years  of  age  a  part  of  the  French  Army  Emigrates 
was  quartered  in  his  home  town,  and  such  was  ^^  America 
his  linguistic  proficiency  at  that  time  that  he 
acted  as  interpreter.  His  parents,  anxious  to 
avoid  the  contamination  of  the  army  and  fear- 
ing lest  he  would  follow  the  army,  determined 
to  send  him  to  America  to  an  uncle  who  lived  in 
Philadelphia.  Before  he  left  his  home  he  was 
93 


94  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

confirmed  in  the  town  church  of  St.  Stephen's 
in  1807,  when  fourteen  years  of  age  and  im- 
mediately thereafter  sailed  for  the  United  States 
of  America,  being  placed  by  his  father  in  charge 
of  Captain  Williams,  of  the  "Pittsburgh." 

Training  His  unclc  taught  him  the  furrier  trade  and 

sent  him  to  a  private  school  of  Pastor  Passey. 
Although  his  uncle  was  quite  indifferent  to  re- 
ligion, he  regularly  attended  Zion  German  Luth- 
eran Church,  of  which  Dr.  J.  H.  Helmuth  was 
pastor;  was  a  Sunday  school  teacher,  member 
of  the  choir,  and  of  a  literary,  social  and  religious 
society  of  the  young  men  of  the  congregation. 

He  soon  claimed  the  attention  of  the  Rev. 
J.  C.  Baker,  D.D.,  the  junior  pastor  of  Zion 
congregation,  and  under  his  influence,  in  the 
seventeenth  year  of  his  age,  he  determined  to 
enter  the  holy  ministry,  and  began  the  study  of 
theology  under  the  guidance  of  Drs.  Helmuth 
and  Schaeffer,  for  the  next  five  years. 

First  sermon  He  preached  his  first  sermon  in  the  Philadel- 
phia Almshouse  on  Trinity  Sunday,  1813,  before 
attaining  his  twenty-first  year.  He  became  the 
Parochial  School  teacher  of  Zion  Church,  and  for 
almost  two  years,  from  1813  to  181 5,  conducted 
this  work  in  Southwick,  and  occasionally 
preached  in  the  school-house. 

After  a  residence  of  more  than  seven  years  in 
Philadelphia,  he  returned  to  his  native  land  to 
revisit  his  childhood  home  and  parents,  and  to 
pursue  his  theological  studies  at  the  Halle  Uni- 
versity.    Napoleon  had  just  escaped  from  Elba, 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER       95 

Hamburg  was  all  aflame  with  the  news  that  the 
great  general  had  taken  the  field  at  the  head  of 
his  old  army  and  would  soon  win  back  all  he 
had  lost.  Under  these  circumstances,  Heyer 
feared  to  enter  Germany.  His  brother  visited 
him  and  overcame  his  fears,  and  soon  he  was 
reunited  with  his  loved  ones,  and  was  asked  to 
preach  in  his  home  church,  on  which  occasion 
two  thousand  are  said  to  have  been  present. 

On  account  of  the  war,  Halle  University  was  German 
closed  and  Heyer  proceeded  to  Goettingen,  where  "Diversity 
he  maintained  his  robust  faith  amid  the  most 
devastating  rationalism  of  that  seat  of  learning. 
He  had,  while  in  Germany,  the  melancholy  satis- 
faction of  being  present  at  the  funeral  of  his 
good  and  pious  mother.  After  about  a  year  at 
Goettingen,  he  set  sail  for  America.  Returning  to 
the  land  of  his  adoption,  he  was  licensed  by  the 
Pennsylvania  Ministerium  at  York,  Pa.,  in  1817, 
and  asked  to  take  up  work  in  the  churches  of 
Crawford  and  Erie  Counties,  Pa.  His  work  was 
home  missionary,  to  which  he  gave  himself  dur- 
ing about  the  entire  time  spent  in  America. 

We  cannot  follow  his  life  in  all  his  wanderings  Early  church 
in  America  from  1817  to  1841,  when  he  was  ^°^^ 
called  to  his  India  work.  It  is  enough  to  outline 
briefly  his  strenuous  life.  He  soon  showed 
ability  to  preach  in  English  also,  and  during  the 
next  twenty-three  years  of  his  life,  he  led  a  most 
active  life  in  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  parts 
of  Indiana  and  Kentucky,  and  serving  parishes 
widely  extended  in  all  directions — a  real  mission- 


96  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

ary  founder  of  the  Church  among  the  scattered 
Lutherans  of  these  regions  and  in  these  times. 

In  1820  he  was  ordained  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  by 

the  Pennsylvania  Ministerium,  and  appointed  to 

travel  by  foot  and  horseback.    He  knew  no  labors 

too  arduous ;  no  difficulties  too  hard. 

With  In  1830  he  became  the  agent  of  the  Sunday 

Sunday  School    Union    of    the    Evangelical    Lutheran 

School  .     ° 

Union  Church,  which  was  an  association  urged  by  the 

Synod  of  West  Pennsylvania  and  organized  by 
delegates  of  the  General  Synod  at  Hagerstown, 
Md.  Heyer  was  deeply  interested  in  this  for- 
ward movement,  and  as  agent  of  the  Society 
planned  to  establish  a  Sunday  school  in  every 
Lutheran  congregation.  He  was  also  identified 
with  the  educational  work  of  the  Church,  was 
director  of  the  Seminary  at  Gettysburg,  and  also 
a  trustee  of  Gettysburg  College. 

During  the  last  part  of  his  home  missionary 
career,  he  as  missionary  of  the  Central  Mission- 
ary Society  visited  the  scattered  Lutherans  in 
Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  crossing  the 
Mississippi  into  Missouri  as  far  as  Iron  Mount- 
ain, co-operated  with  Rev.  B.  Haverstock  as 
traveling  missionary  of  the  Pennsylvania  Minis- 
terium. He  had  much  to  do  with  laying  the 
foundations  of  our  Lutheran  Church  in  and 
around  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  during  this  period. 

Married  In    1819   he   married   the   widow   of   Captain 

Gash,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Webb. 
Their  family  consisted  of  six  children,  one  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.     Early  in  their  married 


§ 

» 

.4 , 

^' 

JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER       97 

life  he  was  called  to  bear  a  great  grief  in  the 
death  of  his  wife,  who  passed  away  January 
13th,  1839. 

About  a  year  later  he  accepted  the  call  of  Gen-  First  Amer- 
eral  Synod's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  to  be-  J^J'sion'^ry" 
come  its  first  foreign  missionary  to  India.  The 
acceptance  of  this  made  him  the  pioneer  mission- 
ary of  our  American  Lutheran  Church's  work  in 
India  and  changed  his  whole  subsequent  career. 
So  interesting  is  the  settlement  of  this  momentous 
event,  that  details  may  be  given.  He  handed  in 
his  resignation  of  the  pastorate  of  Trinity 
Church,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  but  the  congregation 
would  not  accept  it.  Calling  the  male  members 
together  he  explained  to  them  his  plans  and  the 
nature  of  his  call.  He  asked  those  who  were 
willing  to  accept  his  resignation  to  take  the  right 
side  of  the  church,  and  those  who  opposed  it,  the 
left.  Then  as  the  former  gained  the  day,  he  was 
rejoiced  at  this,  thanked  them  most  heartily,  and 
dismissed  them  to  enter  on  his  foreign  work. 

And  now,  the  same  spirit  of  devotion  that  led  His  noble 
him  into  pioneer  home  work,  made  him  willing  ^P'"' 
to  endure  the  rigors  of  the  cold  climate,  the 
tempests  of  long  winters  and  the  hardships  of  the 
early  settlers  in  a  new  country  in  the  wilds  of 
America,  sent  him  out  to  begin  the  work  of  his 
beloved  Church  and  her  Lord  and  Master,  and 
his  devotion  was  to  carry  him  far  hence  among 
the  Gentiles  and  complete  in  foreign  lands  that 
heroic  career  which  undoubtedly  gives  him  claim 
to  rank  with  the  great  men  of  his  or  of  any 
7 


98  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

church  in  America.  He  was  built  in  an  heroic 
mold,  and  whether  at  home  or  abroad,  his  life's 
work  stamps  him  as  one  of  the  men  whom  God 
raises  up  to  do  special  work.  His  devotion, 
loyalty,  determination  and  utter  willingness  to 
go  in  obedience  to  Christ's  command,  at  such  a 
time  and  under  such  circumstances,  indicate  that 
he  belongs  to  men  of  the  rank  of  Ziegenbalg  and 
Schwartz,  of  the  first  century  of  missions ;  of 
Duff,  who  ten  years  before  followed  Carey  to 
India ;  of  Ward  and  the  Andover  heroes  who  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  work  of  the  American 
Board  in  the  beginning  of  the  century.  He  had 
their  fire,  for  he  had  the  zeal  of  their  Master 
and  Lord.  These  were  young  men;  he  had 
passed  his  forty-eighth  year  when  he  set  his  face 
toward  India,  where  labors  many  awaited  him, 
but  as  well  rewards  and  blessings.  Younger  men 
do  such  deeds  and  no  one  wonders,  but  he  showed 
by  his  doing  them  that  his  Master's  call  was  all 
he  heard  when  his  Church  uttered  that  call  to 
hard  and  lonely  service  in  an  untried  field. 
Starts  for  It  is  not  necessary  for  the  purposes  of  this 

sketch  to  go  into  all  the  reasons  or  circumstances 
which  led  to  his  resignation  as  missionary  of  the 
General  Synod's  Society  and  accept  the  appoint- 
ment of  his  own  Synod,  the  Pennsylvania  Minis- 
terium,  to  India.  It  will  serve  our  purpose  to 
say  that  after  a  considerable  delay  he  accepted 
service,  under  the  mother  Synod,  and  on  October 
5th,  1841,  after  a  solemn  Communion  Service 
in  St.  Paul's  German  Lutheran  Church,  Phila- 


India 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER       99 

delphia,  Pa.,  in  company  with  a  number  of 
missionaries  of  the  American  Board,  he  set  sail 
from  Boston  for  India  by  way  of  the  Horn. 
How  he  felt  can  best  be  told  in  his  own  words : 
"I  feel  calm  and  cheerful,  having  taken  this  step 
after  serious  and  prayerful  consideration,  and 
the  approbation  of  the  churches  has  encouraged 
me  thus  far.  But  I  am  aware  that  ere  long, 
amidst  a  tribe  of  men  whose  language  will  be 
strange  to  me,  I  shall  behold  these  smiles  only 
in  remembrance,  and  hear  the  voice  of  encourage- 
ment only  in  dying  whispers  across  the  ocean, 
and  then  nothing  but  the  grace  of  God,  nothing 
but  a  thorough  conviction  of  being  in  the  path 
of  duty,  nothing  but  the  approving  smile  of 
heaven  can  keep  me  from  despondency." 

After  five  months,  on  March  15th,  1842,  the 
ship  "Brenda"  cast  anchor  in  Colombo  harbor 
on  the  Island  of  Ceylon,  and  Heyer's  eastern 
work  was  begun. 

His  India  service  naturally  divides  itself  into  Years  of 
three  periods,  spent  at  longer  and  shorter  inter-  service 
vals  in  actual  work.  For  convenience'  sake  his 
first  term  of  service,  laying  foundations,  we  shall 
begin  on  March  15th,  1842,  and  extend  to  the 
date  of  his  leaving  India  on  his  first  furlough 
on  December  22d,  1845,  a  period  of  three  years 
and  nine  months ;  his  second  term  began  on  May 
8th,  1848,  and  ended  April  15th,  1857,  a  period  of 
eight  years  and  nine  months ;  his  third  term  be- 
gan December,  1869,  and  terminated  in  1871,  a 
period  of  a  little  over  a  year,  thus  serving  his 


100  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

Lord  for  fourteen  and  a  half  years.  But  what  do 
these  cold  facts  convey  ?  Can  they  show  us  the 
heartaches  over  the  Church  at  home,  which  left 
him  without  funds  to  carry  on  his  work  and  was 
largely  indifferent  to  his  plans?  Can  they  show 
the  effect  of  heathenism  and  idolatry  on  his  earn- 
est soul,  as  it  unfolds  its  ugliness  and  superstition 
before  his  eyes  from  day  to  day?  Can  they 
measure  the  joy  of  a  work  begun  with  faithful 
friends  at  home  and  in  India  standing  by  him  in 
his  mighty  struggles  ?  Can  they  in  any  way  tell  us 
of  the  victories  gained  during  these  years  of  lay- 
ing the  foundations  ?  These  years  from  1842  to 
1857  contain  much  that  ought  to  have  filled  the 
Church  at  home  with  humiliation  and  on  the 
other  hand  with  thanksgiving  and  praise  for  the 
noble  example  of  self-sacrifice  and  the  deep  devo- 
tion of  this  heroic  soul.  God  certainly  chose  him 
for  such  a  work  and  for  such  times,  and  though 
ofttimes  he  shows  impatience  with  a  home 
Church  and  a  committee  that  could  only  partially 
enter  into  his  plans,  he  labored  on  in  a  most  self- 
denying  and  patient  manner,  living  such  a  life  of 
self-effacement  as  to  vie  with  Mohammedan 
fakirs  and  Hindu  sanyasis. 

But  let  us  narrate  in  some  order  his  years  of 
service  in  India  and  learn  how  wisely  and  well 
he  laid  the  foundations  of  our  India  Mission. 
His  history  and  our  mission's  for  fifteen  years 
are  one. 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER     101 
HE  FOUNDS  A  NEW  MISSION 

Leaving  Ceylon  on  a  coaster,  he  landed  at 
Tuticorin  on  the  23d  of  March  and  began  his 
India  work.  He  traveled  up  country  by  palan- 
quin, passing  through  the  Tinnivelli  mission 
field,  the  scenes  of  the  labors  of  Rhenius  and 
Schwartz;  visited  the  work  of  the  American 
Board  in  the  city  of  Madura;  stopped  at  Tri- 
chinopoli  and  Tanjore,  and  lingered  in  spirit 
with  the  "father  of  modern  missions,"  Schwartz 
and  his  associates,  whose  methods  were  to  be- 
come models  for  his  future  mission,  as  they  were 
for  the  missionaries  of  all  other  societies.  Then 
on  to  Tranquebar  he  hastens  to  see  what  re- 
mained of  the  Danish-Halle  Mission,  and  at  least 
to  stand  within  the  walls  of  the  "New  Jerusalem" 
Church  and  read  the  epitaph  on  the  tomb  of  the 
founder  of  modern  missions,  Bartholomew  Zieg- 
enbalg,  who  laid  down  his  noble  life  after  twelve 
years'  service,  but  who  began  every  form  of 
missionary  endeavor  which  the  Protestant  move- 
ment now  continues.  On  April  i6th,  1842,  six 
months  after  his  departure  from  America,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  hot  season,  he  reached  the  city 
of  Aladras.  Leaving  Madras  on  May  19th,  he 
set  about  establishing  his  mission.  According  to 
the  plans  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
General  Synod  it  was  thought  advisable  to  begin 
work   in   the   *Telugu   country   at   the   time   of 

*  The  Telugu  country  lies  north  of  Madras,  the 
capital  city  of  the  province  of  the  same  name.  It  is 
an  extensive  territory,  the  inhabitants  of  which  almost 


102  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

Heyer's  appointment.  After  he  severed  his  con- 
nection with  the  General  Synod's  Society,  for 
fear  of  comphcations  should  it  attempt  to  work 
with  the  American  Board,  as  was  proposed,  he 
yet  had  in  mind  the  carrying  out  of  the  first 
purpose,  and  in  Madras  he  was  advised  to  start 
work  among  the  Telugus.  Urged  to  remain  for 
a  few  months  in  Madras  at  first,  because  of  the 
great  heat  at  that  time  of  the  year,  he  seemed 
inclined  to  follow  this  advice  and  began  the 
study  of  Telugu  with  a  Brahman  teacher.  But 
within  a  month  he  felt  impelled  to  start  north 
to  find  his  mission  field.  He  traveled,  under  the 
blazing  rays  of  a  May  sun,  one  hundred  miles 
north  on  to  Nellore,  and  reached  the  mission  field 
of  the  Baptist  Society,  whose  Missionary  Day 
he  found  critically  ill.  He  was  urged  to  remain 
till    cooler    weather   prevailed,    and    with    these 

all  speak  Telugu  or  Tenugu,  a  language  which,  because 
of  its  beauty,  has  been  called  the  Italian  of  the  east. 
According  to  the  last  census,  1901,  there  are  over  20,- 
000,000  Telugus,  though  not  all  belong  to  the  same 
race.  The  Telugu  country  lies  between  13°  and  20°, 
north  latitude.  The  thermometer  registers  an  average 
temperature  of  83°.  The  seasons  are  two,  wet  and 
dry;  the  dry  extends  from  November  ist  to  June  ist, 
and  the  wet  during  the  rest  of  the  year.  However, 
very  frequently  the  rainfall  is  very  light,  as  low  as 
twelve  inches  being  known,  and  then  the  heat  be- 
comes excessive  in  the  dry,  and  crops  do  not  mature 
in  the  wet  season.  The  rains  depend  on  the  two 
monsoons,  the  southwest  and  the  northeast.  Two  great 
rivers  flow  through  the  country,  the  Krishna  and  God- 
avery.     Along  the  cast  coast  a  low  range  of  hills  runs. 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER     103 

friends  he  studied  the  situation  and  determined 
to  found  his  mission  station  at  one  of  three  places, 
Ongole,  Guntur  or  Ellore,  lying  to  the  north,  the 
latter  place  over  two  hundred  miles  distant. 
Accompanied  by  Mr.  Van  Husen,  the  co-laborer 
of  Rev.  ]\Ir.  Day,  the  founder  of  the  Baptist  Mis- 
sion at  Nellore,  he  started  north,  and  influenced 
by  the  kind  reception  of  Henry  Stokes,  Esq.,  Meets 
Collector  of  the  Guntur  District,  who  had  long  Stokes 
prayed  for  a  missionary  for  his  district,  and 
urged  his  society,  the  Church  Missionary  So- 
ciety, to  send  one  to  commence  work,  he  yielded 
to  his  persuasion,  making  July  31st,  1842,  the 
date  of  his  arrival,  the  founder's  day  of  what 
is  popularly  called  the  Guntur  Mission.  The 
first  service  held  in  connection  with  the  mission 
was  on  the  first  Sunday  in  August,  1842. 

Without  doubt  Stokes  and  Heyer  were  chosen  chosen  of 
of  God  to  inaugurate  this  work.  Without  the  ^°^ 
former,  whose  advice  and  financial  support  were 
always  effective  and  helpful,  what  would  the 
hero- founder  have  done?  Confronted  by  such 
a  task  his  courageous  soul  would  have  failed 
him,  it  is  to  be  feared.  Zealous,  keen  of  mind, 
and  with  a  splendid  body  tried  on  many  a  hard 
field  before,  he  must  have  faltered  and  failed 
many  a  time  had  not  that  noble  layman  ever 
stood  by  him.  His  faith,  noble  self-denial,  liber- 
ality and  upright  life  should  be  referred  to  again 
and  again,  and  God  must  be  thanked  that  He 
raised  up  such  a  helper  to  advise,  support,  cheer 
and  encourage  the  mission-founder  during  these 


104 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


School  work 
commenced 


First 
communion 


early  years,  when  progress  seemed  to  stand  still 
and  the  Church  seemed  to  forget  her  noble,  he- 
roic soul  in  heathen  darkness.  God's  hand  can 
be  seen  nowhere  more  clearly  than  in  this  com- 
bination of  this  sainted  missionary  and  his  no 
less  sainted  layman  co-laborer. 

Within  a  few  months  the  Anglo- Vernacular 
school,  supported  by  the  residents  led  by  Stokes, 
was  transferred  to  Heyer,  and  he  began  to  or- 
ganize several  Telugu-Elementary  schools  in  the 
town  as  soon  as  he  could  get  teachers.  He  be- 
gan to  preach  through  an  interpreter,  and  had, 
according  to  his  first  report,  as  many  as  70  at 
his  Telugu  service,  mostly  children.  He  began 
a  beggar  class,  and  every  morning  had  as  many 
as  70  of  the  poor,  maimed,  blind  and  helpless 
around  him,  to  whom  he  dispensed  alms  con- 
tributed by  his  English  friends,  and  taught 
hymns  and  gospel  verses,  the  Ten  Command- 
ments and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  He  began  the 
first  Hindu  Girls'  School  in  November,  1842, 
which  was  supported  by  the  noble  and  pious  wife 
of  Judge  Walker,  and  at  the  end  of  the  first 
year,  he  had  135  children,  of  whom  20  were 
girls.  The  Bible  work  was  given  a  prominent 
place  and  the  catechism  was  used  at  every  serv- 
ice of  the  school,  though  Heyer  started  a  Sunday 
school  within  the  first  year.  He  was  able  to  re- 
port also  three  adult  baptisms  and  the  Holy 
Communion  celebrated  at  which  were  present 
five  native  Christians,  of  whom  two  spoke  Tamil 
and  three  Telugu. 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER     105 

This  was  a  fine  start.  He  had  generous  sup- 
port from  his  Enghsh  friends,  but  the  Church 
at  home  was  very  apathetic  and  sent  little  money. 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  trusty  friends,  of  whom 
Stokes  was  ever  the  leader,  Heyer  could  have 
done  but  little.  In  February,  1844,  during  his 
first  term,  Heyer  welcomed  the  first  Lutheran 
missionary  of  the  North  German  Missionary  So- 
ciety, Rev.  L.  P,  Valett,  and  later  in  the  same 
year,  June  i8th,  the  second  American  mission- 
ary, the  Rev.  Walter  Gunn.  Heyer  rejoiced  Welcomes 
that  ''Timothy"  had  come,  for  whom  he  had  ^"°° 
devoutly  prayed  to  God.  He  longed  for  his 
homeland  and  his  children,  from  whom  he  was 
separated,  and  the  presence  of  Gunn  evidently 
made  the  realization  of  his  return  possible. 

His  weakest  trait  of  character  was  his  rest-  character 
lessness  and  lack  of  continuance  in  his  work. 
He  was  too  old,  over  fifty,  to  get  much  of  a 
mastery  of  Telugu,  and  this  made  his  work 
doubly  hard ;  but  his  ability  to  organize  schools 
and  direct  work  was  splendid,  and  his  colleagues 
all  noted  this.  Coupled  with  this,  he  was  a  born 
pioneer,  and  was  afraid  of  no  new  undertaking, 
however  hard.  He  wanted  to  be  on  the  move,  and 
all  through  his  life  the  "wanderlust"  impelled 
him.  He  reminds  the  writer  of  James  Gilmore, 
of  Manchuria,  and  Chalmers  and  Paton,  of  the 
South  Seas.  He  would  have  traveled  to  the  end 
of  the  earth  and  thought  little  of  it.  He  had 
the  spirit  of  Livingstone.  His  first  term  was 
fast  drawing  to  a  close. 


106  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

His  records  Ilis  records  in  his  own  hand,  now  in  the 
archives  of  the  Guntur  field,  reveal  the  bare 
facts  of  the  baptisms  made  and  a  brief  sum- 
mary of  events.  Had  he  not  wrought  so  well, 
those  that  followed  could  not  have  succeeded 
so  splendidly.  He  was  ready  to  go  home,  he 
had  organized  the  school  work,  began  to  train 
workers,  started  girls'  schools,  conducted  an  An- 
glo-Vernacular school,  baptized  eighteen  adults 
and  six  children ;  made  a  beginning  for  a  church 
organization;  all  of  which  reflects  much  credit 
on  him  as  a  wise  organizer.  He  was  a  success- 
ful missionary,  judged  by  the  standards  of  the 
work  in  other  India  fields,  and  while  some  may 
wonder  that  he  left  so  suddenly  and  without 
waiting  for  permission  to  return,  we  should  re- 
member the  man,  and  that  he  did  many  other 
things  which  those  who  thought  him  restless  and 
unwilling  to  be  controlled,  would  not  have  dared 
to  do.  Few  would  have  dared,  with  such  sup- 
port at  the  home  base,  to  have  ventured  away  on 
such  an  untried  venture ;  only  such  a  hero  as  he, 
with  his  courageous,  intrepid  spirit,  would  have 
dared. 
First  He  left  India  December  22d,  1845,  ^"^^  reached 

furlough  j^g^  York  in  August,  1846.  But  it  cannot  be 
forgotten,  in  the  language  of  the  report  of  the 
Missionary  Society  of  the  General  Synod  to  that 
body  in  1848,  "that  it  was  providential,  whether 
we  consider  the  man  sent,  those  who  sent  him, 
the  time  or  the  section  of  the  country  in  which 
he  commenced   his  labors,"   that  our  Lutheran 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER     107 

Church,  through  the  Mother  Synod,  should  have 
taken  the  lead  in  this  noble  enterprise,  and 
"should  have  laid  the  first  stones  in  the  success- 
ful establishment  of  the  mission  at  Guntur." 
The  whole  American  Lutheran  Church  can  thank 
God  for  this  early  start,  and  it  is  rather  re- 
markable that  so  close  a  bond  of  union  was 
originally  formed  in  our  foreign  work  as  the 
subsequent  connection  of  Heyer  with  the  work 
in  Guntur  shows. 

SECOND    TERM    OF    SERVICE. 

If  Heyer  made  mistakes  in  his  rashness,  so 
did  the  home  leaders.  Had  he  been  allowed  to 
carry  out  his  plans  of  church  visitation,  the  early 
history  of  our  Guntur  Mission  would  read  some- 
what differently.  But  he  was  destined  to  disap- 
pointment and  was  not  allowed  to  carry  out  his 
campaign  of  missionary  education.  He  was  sat- 
isfied that  he  had  not  done  wrong  and  never  re- 
gretted the  step  he  had  taken.  He  was  never 
content,  however,  while  at  home.  "I  leave  to 
the  Lord  and  to  the  Church  to  send  me  back 
to  India."  The  Missionary  Society  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Ministerium,  within  less  than  a  year, 
saw  the  right  thing  to  do  and  did  it,  and  in  June, 
1847,  resolved  to  return  him  to  India.  After 
spending  several  months  in  presenting  the  cause 
among  the  churches,  with  his  salary  assured  by 
the  Pennsylvania  Ministerium,  but  as  yet  no 
provision  for  his  passage  money  and  outfit,  he  set 
about  arranging  for  his  return,  resigns  his  church 


108  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

in  Baltimore,  St.  John's,  and  trusts  that  his  God 
will  lead  him  out  to  his  beloved  work.*  On  De- 
cember 4th,  1847,  he  is  ready  to  sail,  and  in  May, 

1848,  he  lands  at  Masulipatam,  where  he  met  his 
old  tried  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stokes,  reaching 
Guntur  May  15th. 

Heyer's  second  term  of  service,  as  shown 
above,  extended  over  eight  years.  During  his 
absence  at  home,  owing  to  Gunn's  enfeebled 
health,  little  was  done,  though  the  beginning 
of  work  among  the  outcastes  was  made  in  the 
baptism  of  Stephen,  and  in  the  organization  of 
a  Telugu  School  in  one  of  the  palems  (villages) 
of  the  town  of  Guntur.  No  sooner  had  the 
monsoon  broken  in  June,  than  Heyer  was  busy  at 
work  among  the  schools,  the  burden  of  the  work 
largely  resting  upon  him. 
Painad  In  1 849,  the  most  signal  success  of  the  mission 

successes  ^^^5  realized  in  the  Painad  District.  Heyer  en- 
tered and  pushed  forward  this  work  with  all 
his  zeal.  The  baptism  of  the  first  Christian 
(John  was  his  name)  was  the  earnest  of  the 
rapid  progress  that  followed  his  first  tour,  and 
twenty-two  were  baptized  as  the  result  of  that 
visitation  and  Bible  distribution.  Stokes  heard 
of  this  success  and  urged  Heyer  to  establish  a 
station  at  the  chief  town  of  the  district.  Heyer 
accepted  his  advice  most  readily,  and  in  April, 

1849,  opened  the  new  station  and  set  about  build- 

*  The  General  Synod's  Executive  Committee  was  to 
provide  his  traveling  and  outfit  allowances,  which  they 
subsequently  did. 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER     109 

ing  the  mission  house  at  Gurzal,  for  which 
Stokes  provided  the  money.  At  this  place  was 
organized  the  first  congregation  in  this  taluk. 
His  second  term  of  service  was  made  more  in- 
fluential because  of  the  knowledge  and  skill 
in  medicine  which  he  had  acquired  during  his 
furlough.  At  the  age  of  fifty-four  he  received 
the  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine  from  Wash- 
ington University,  He  soon  saw  that  the  new 
field  was  "ripe  unto  the  harvest."  In  a  few 
months  he  baptized  more  people  than  had  been 
baptized  in  six  years  in  Guntur. 

An  incident  of  this  period  shows  how  fear-  Fearlessness 
less  he  was.  This  part  of  India  is  noted  for  its 
deadly  fever.  He  recognized  the  danger.  He 
had  his  cofifin  made  (the  necessity  for  this  is 
found  in  the  fact  that  the  Hindus  do  not  bury), 
and  on  reaching  Gurzal  he  had  a  grave  dug. 
He  never  was  sick,  and  when  he  subsequently 
left  that  field,  he  burned  his  coffin  and  used  St. 
Paul's  words  over  his  grave :  "O  grave,  where  is 
thy  victory?"  He  experimented  in  establishing  a 
Christian  colony  on  land  donated  by  Mr.  Stokes. 
His  work  was  so  successful  in  this  period  that 
missionaries  came  to  visit  him  from  all  parts.  His 
Palnad  experiences  were  most  inspiring  to  all 
his  friends.  Stokes  offered  to  pay  a  large  part 
of  the  salary  of  an  assistant  to  Heyer.  The 
Church  was  being  led  by  this  man  of  God.  It 
could  not  meet  his  offer,  but  within  a  year  it 
was  ready  to  do  more  than  he  asked  and  to 
which  he  was  willing  to  give  such   substantial 


110  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

aid,  and  sent  two  new  men.     Heyer  now  saw 
new  opportunities.     Our  field  was  enlarged  and 
Rajahmun-     the   present   Rajahmundry    Mission    was    taken 
^^  over  by  our  American  Executive  Committee  from 

the  North  German  Society.  In  all  this  he  greatly 
rejoiced.  At  this  time,  his  work  was  the  most 
successful  in  the  three  fields  whose  centers  were 
Guntur,  Gurzal  and  Rajahmundry.  He  threw 
himself  with  all  his  might  into  the  work  of 
training  native  teachers  and  workers,  inaugurat- 
ing his  Boarding  School  at  his  Palnad  Station 
with  great  success  and  interesting  patrons  in 
America  in  financing  this  part  of  the  work,  much 
after  the  plan  now  prevailing.  Amid  his  other 
duties  he  had  Luther's  Small  Catechism  trans- 
lated, starting  this  branch  of  mission  work  which 
has  been  so  powerful  an  agency  in  the  foreign 
missionary  movement  in  all  lands.  And  at  the 
same  time  he  saw  the  necessity  of  trained  edu- 
cated wives  for  his  Christian  workers,  and 
opened  a  school  for  the  training  of  girls,  similar 
to  that  for  boys.  In  1853,  he  handed  over  the 
work  in  the  Palnad  to  Rev.  Groenning,  who  was 
appointed  to  take  his  place  at  the  meeting  of  the 
First  Lutheran  Synod,  organized  January  31st, 
of  which  Heyer  was  elected  President. 

He  continued  the  work  in  Guntur  till  1855, 
when  he  took  up  the  Rajahmundry  field,  which 
marked  his  first  connection  with  that  part  of 
our  work.  Here  he  continued  most  zealously  as 
at  Guntur  and  Gurzal,  pushed  forward  the  whole 


education 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER     111 

work,   organizing  and   opening   all   departments 
which  his  experience  had  found  helpful. 

He  was  during  this  time  '  sympathetically  Higher 
united  in  the  effort  to  establish  an  Anglo-Ver- 
nacular School  at  the  head-station.  This  plan 
failed,  through  no  fault  of  his.  His  second 
period  in  India  was  rapidly  drawing  to  a  close. 
Writing  to  a  fellow  missionary  in  1857,  Rev. 
William  Snyder,  he  said,  "If  someone  does  not 
come  soon  to  take  my  place  I  suppose  I  must 
give  over  charge  to  Capt.  Taylor,"  a  warm  friend 
of  the  Mission,  He  began  to  feel  the  weight  of 
years  and  his  long  residence  in  the  tropics,  and 
his  patience  being  exhausted  at  what  to  him 
seemed  the  unnecessary  delay  to  relieve  him, 
without  waiting  till  the  recruits  were  on  hand,  on 
the  15th  of  April,  1857,  he  left  India,  the  second 
time,  very  much  under  the  same  circumstances 
as  before,  and  by  the  overland  route,  visiting 
Egypt,  Palestine,  Turkey  and  Germany,  landed 
in  New  York,  August  6th,  1857,  and  in  his  own 
words  returned  "to  the  land  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty,"  It  looked  as  if  he  had  finally  severed 
his  connection  with  the  foreign  work, 

THE   THIRD  TERM    OF   SERVICE   IN    INDIA. 

But  the  most  heroic  time  in  his  life  is  yet  to 
pass  under  hasty  review.  After  spending  twelve 
and  more  years  in  pioneer  home  mission  work 
in  the  great  northwest,  being  instrumental  in  or- 
ganizing the  Synod  of  Minnesota,  a  crisis  arose 
in  our  India  work.  Discord  and  contention  had 
arisen  in  the  home  Church.    In  Church  and  state 


112  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

there  was  unrest.  The  Civil  War  was  over,  but 
its  fruits  were  most  bitter  in  the  nation  and 
Church.  Disruption  in  the  Cliurch  paralyzed 
the  foreign  work,  and  almost  left  it  without  sup- 
port, and  certainly  without  missionaries.  Only 
one  man  remained  at  his  post  in  India  from 
March,  1866,  to  December  ist,  1869,  the  Rev. 
E.  Unangst,  D.  D.  On  his  shoulders  fell  the 
whole  burden  of  the  mission.  He  could  not  do 
it  justice.  Under  instructions  of  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  General  Synod  he  opened 
negotiations  with  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
when  no  prospect  for  reinforcements  appeared 
possible  from  the  home  Church.  But  it  was  not 
to  be,  that  our  Church  was  to  lose  her  vantage- 
ground.  Although  for  several  months  provision 
had  been  made  and  a  Church  Missionary  had 
taken  over  temporary  charge,  as  soon  as  it  was 
made  evident  that  our  Church  would  not  relin- 
quish this  work,  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
handed  it  back  to  us. 
Romance  How  it  was  secured  as  the  chief  field  of  the 

General  Council,  reads  like  romance.  Heyer  was 
the  hero  who  tmderstood  the  situation  in  India. 
Though  in  Germany  when  he  heard  of  the  pro- 
posed transfer,  his  soul  was  fired  at  once  and  he 
is  said  to  have  exclaimed:  "We  must  keep  this 
work  in  the  Lutheran  Church."  Taking  counsel 
with  his  former  colleague.  Pastor  Groenning, 
they  determined  on  a  course  of  action.  Leaving 
Germany  at  once  he  hastened  to  America.  He 
was  then  almost  seventy-seven  years  old.     The 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER     113 

Pennsylvania  Ministerium  was  holding  its  meet- 
ing at  Reading,  Pa.  It  must  have  been  a  thrill- 
ing sight  to  have  been  present  at  the  meeting 
and  heard  him  plead  for  the  field  to  which  he 
had  devoted  so  many  years  of  his  life.  With 
"grip  in  hand"  in  the  language  of  another,  he 
announced  to  the  Synod  that  he  was  ready  to  go 
at  once  to  India  and  remain  there  till  a  young 
man  could  be  sent  out  to  take  up  the  work.  Such 
devotion  was  contagious,  and  the  Synod  acted 
at  once,  and  in  August,  1869,  for  the  third  time 
he  leaves  his  adopted  country,  and  before  the 
news  reached  India  he  appears  in  Guntur  before 
the  new  mission  house,  built  on  the  site  of  his 
own  old  home,  and  exclaims  in  astonishment  as  he 
notes  its  size,  "What  king  built  it  ?"  How  simple 
were  his  ideas  of  life  is  manifest  from  the  story 
told  by  his  successor,  Rev.  C.  H.  Schmidt,  when 
he  came  out  a  year  later  and  found  Heyer  in  a 
small  house  without  any  of  the  comforts  of 
home,  some  rude  benches  and  simple  furniture 
the  only  articles  around  him,  and  when  night 
came  announcing  to  the  new  missionary  that 
"that  bench  yonder"  was  his  bed,  while  inviting 
him  to  one  similar  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
room ! 

On  December  ist,  1869,  the  old  veteran  of  so  The  end 
much  sacrifice  and  of  so  many  fields  of  battle  for 
his  King,  took  up  his  work  at  Rajahmundry, 
made  good  his  promise  to  his  Synod,  met  the 
shock  of  the  death  of  the  first  recruit,  Rev. 
Becker,   after  a   few  months'   residence;   intro- 


114  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

duced  his  successor,  the  Rev,  C.  H.  Schmidt,  to 
the  work,  and  at  the  close  of  1870  sailed  away 
from  the  land  of  his  heroic  career  for  the  last 
time,  to  close  his  eventful  and  noble  life  as 
Housefather  and  Chaplain  at  Mt.  Airy  Lutheran 
Theological  Seminary,  Philadelphia.  He  closed 
his  days  on  November  7th,  1873,  in  the  eighty- 
first  year  of  his  age. 
No  eulogy  He  needs  no  eulogy.     His  work  at  home  and 

abroad  makes  him  the  most  cosmopolitan  char- 
acter of  his  time.  He  was  too  large  to  serve 
any  parish  for  a  long  time.  He  had  a  world- 
vision,  and  his  soul  was  restless  unless  it  was  in 
touch  with  the  whole  world.  Such  men  belong 
to  the  whole  Church.  He  was  one  of  God's 
noblemen.  He  "only  knows  the  vast  reach  and 
the  true  value  of  his  labors."  His  life  is  fragrant 
in  its  richness  to  his  Church — a  legacy  to  all  who 
love  and  labor  for  our  common  Lord.  His  work 
grows  on  as  time  passes,  and  men  of  his  spirit 
are  needed  as  much  as  ever  at  home  and  abroad 
to  carry  it  on.  Sacrifice  of  a  high  order  is  de- 
manded now  as  then  that  throughout  the  earth 
the  message  of  a  loving,  dying,  exalted  Saviour 
may  become  the  common  hope  and  the  sure  ref- 
uge of  all  lands  and  all  men.  But  we  who  re- 
main must  see  with  the  clearness  of  his  vision; 
must  sacrifice  with  the  willingness  of  his  heroic 
spirit ;  must  do  as  he  did. 

He  saw  what  few  in  his  day  were  able  to  see 
with  any  clearness,  that  the  Church  stands  for 
one   supreme   work   which   must   be   performed 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  HEYER    115 

in  the  whole  world  and  for  all  men.  No  smaller 
plan  could  satisfy  him.  None  less  ought  to  sat- 
isfy any  of  us.  He  was  conspicuous  in  his  day 
and  generation,  not  because  of  his  great  mental 
powers  and  brilliant  talents,  but  because  he  had 
a  passion  for  the  world  and  wanted  to  see  it 
redeemed.  He  saw  Christ's  work  done  when 
he  saw  Christ  made  knowm  in  every  land.  He 
will  live  in  his  Church,  when  men  of  his  days 
of  much  larger  influence  and  commanding  place 
shall  have  been  forgotten,  all  because  he  per- 
mitted no  bounds  to  be  set  to  the  sphere  of  his 
work,  except  those  wdiich  he  recognized  as  set 
by  his  Saviour  and  Lord. 


MORRIS  OFFICER 


MOKKIS    OFFICER 


MORRIS  OFFICER; 

BY  W.  W.  CRILEY,  D.D. 

Who  was  Morris  Officer?  What  did  he  ac- 
complish worthy  of  mention?  His  surname, 
Officer,  was  indicative  of  his  natural  ability.  He 
was  a  born  leader.  This  sketch  is  the  old  story 
of  how  God  selects  and  trains  the  men  who 
lead  His  people  into  new  fields.  In  the  following 
pages  will  be  outlined  the  life  of  the  man  who 
pioneered  movements  in  our  Lutheran  Church  of 
the  General  Synod,  that  resulted  in  the  forma- 
tion of  our  Boards  of  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sions, and  planted  our  mission  station  in  Liberia. 
In  these  records  will  be  seen  the  marks  of  a 
life  of  unusual  activity,  ability  and  self-sacrifice. 
It  breathes  the  spirit  of  the  apostles  and  should 
inspire  us  with  the  desire  to  carry  on  the  work 
so  well  begun,  and  now  so  full  of  promise. 

Morris  Officer  was  born  July  21st,  1823,  in  Birth  and 
Holmes  County,  Ohio,  in  a  rugged  section  with  ^  '^  ^^^^^ 
few  natural  advantages  and  little  advancement. 
His  parents  were  poor  and  had  to  endure  many 
privations.  He  early  learned  his  first  lessons  in 
the  school  of  adversity.  His  father  was  a  car- 
penter and  millwright,  and,  in  following  his 
trade,  was  much  of  his  time  away  from  home. 
His  mother  not  only  did  all  the  work  for  her 
household,  but  by  tailoring,  aided  largely  in  the 
119 


120  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

support  of  the  family,  and  in  the  payment  of  the 
humble  homestead.  Her  industry  and  economy 
made  a  lasting  impression  on  his  youthful  mind, 
and  early  awakened  in  his  heart  a  tender  sym- 
pathy. Here  originated  the  traits  that  shone 
forth  so  valiantly  in  his  after  life,  and  strength- 
ened the  determination  to  be  useful  and  helpful 
in  bearing  the  burdens  of  others.  In  the  neigh- 
borhood there  was  little  worldly  pride  or  social 
rivalry,  but  much  sterling  character  in  enduring 
hardships  and  making  an  honest  living.  There 
was  small  show  of  religious  profession,  but  an 
abounding  spirit  of  neighborly  kindness.  In 
their  social  gatherings,  such  as  "corn-huskings," 
"log-rollings,"  "barn-raisings,"  and  public  meet- 
ings, there  was  little  refinement,  but  much  drink- 
ing. To  education  and  religion  there  was  little 
attention  paid.  Their  school-houses  were  built 
of  round  logs  and  roofed  with  clapboards.  The 
seats  were  slab  benches  without  backs,  and,  in- 
stead of  windows,  there  were  openings  covered 
with  oiled  paper,  and  occasionally  with  glass. 
The  branches  taught  were  reading,  writing  and 
arithmetic.  In  those  school-houses  there  was 
occasional  preaching  by  the  "circuit-rider,"  or 
^'•■5*.  home  missionary.    The  simple  sermons  impressed 

[mpressions  the  mind  of  young  Officer  as  soon  as  he  was  old 
enough  to  understand  the  truth,  and  through 
their  influence  he  often  engaged  in  secret  prayer 
and  formed  resolutions  to  break  oflf  some  prac- 
tices that  were  denounced  as  sinful.  But  these 
resolves  were  often  broken,  as  he  was  exceed- 


MORRIS  OFFICER  121 

ingly  fond  of  sport,  and  a  leader  in  the  popular 
amusements  of  the  community.  Consequently 
he  often  said  and  did  things  for  which  he  was 
sorry  on  later  reflection.  But  while  he  might 
lead  in  mischief  in  other  places,  he  was  always 
reverent  and  attentive  in  meetings  for  divine 
worship.  He  often  avoided  the  company  of 
those  who  were  disposed  to  make  light  of  relig- 
ion, and  his  thoughts  were  often  upon  death  and 
eternity.  He  had  great  confidence  in  his  mother's 
piety,  and  had  reason  to  know  that  she  was  en- 
gaged in  secret  prayers  for  him,  which  deepened 
his  religious  impressions.  He  had  a  high  regard 
for  religious  people,  and  especially  preachers, 
some  of  whom  occasionally  visited  his  home,  as 
his  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church. 

In  his  thirteenth  year  a  younger  sister  of  his  His  baptism 
died  of  scarlet  fever.  Soon  after,  his  mother  had 
all  the  children  baptized  at  a  public  service  held 
in  the  home,  attended  by  many  of  the  neighbors 
who  were  deeply  aifected,  even  to  tears.  Morris 
did  not  wish  to  be  baptized,  but  submitted  in 
obedience  to  his  mother's  desire,  and  in  after 
years  recorded  his  gratitude  to  her  for  the  solemn 
covenant  thus  made. 

In  his  fifteenth  year  his  father  met  with  an 
accident  which  disabled  him  for  work  during 
two  years,  and  thus  was  thrown  the  burden  of 
the  family  on  the  mother  and  Morris,  as  the  eld- 
est son.  This  was  the  turning  point  in  his  life, 
as  he  came  to  a  realization  of  his  responsibility. 


122  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

and  he  entered  upon  his  duties  with  a  determina- 
tion that  surprised  himself  and  his  friends;  as 
in  his  father's  frequent  and  long  absence  from 
home  he  had  not  been  trained  to  habits  of  in- 
dustry. This  discipline  foretokened  and  pre- 
pared him  for  his  career  of  usefulness  and  suc- 
cess. 

In  consequence  of  his  straitened  circumstances 
and  meager  educational  advantages,  Morris,  at 
the  age  of  eighteen,  knew  comparatively  noth- 
ing of  geography,  arithmetic,  grammar  or  his- 
tory. But  he  could  "spell  down"  an  entire  school 
in  the  old-fashioned  "spelling  matches."  He  had, 
however,  a  fondness  for  debate,  and  in  his  dis- 
cussions manifested  the  strong  reasoning  pow- 
ers which  afterwards  distinguished  him,  in  meet- 
ings and  conventions,  when  his  logic  overcame 
the  objections  to  his  projects  for  church  ad- 
vancement and  missionary  work. 
His  temper-  As  the  temperance  cause  at  that  time  began  to 
agitate  the  community,  and  frequent  meetings 
were  held  on  the  subject,  he  attended  and  was 
led  to  the  determination  to  join  the  Washington- 
ian  Society,  with  some  fifteen  associates.  For  this 
he  was  often  derided,  but  with  his  characteristic 
determination  he  resisted  the  oft-repeated  ef- 
forts of  his  associates  to  have  him  drink  with 
them.  Naturally,  this  separated  him  from  them 
and  led  him  more  and  more  into  the  company  of 
sober,  serious  people  of  a  religious  turn  of  mind. 
He  soon  became  one  of  their  prominent  and  ac- 
ceptable speakers. 


ance  work 


MORRIS  OFFICER  123 

In  his  twentieth  year,  during  a  series  of  meet-  Religious 
ings  held  in  the  old  log  school-house,  he  became  struggles 
interested  in  the  subject  of  religion  and  decided 
to  attend  the  "inquiry  meetings"  held  during 
the  day.  As  he  feared  ridicule,  he  went  through 
the  woods  that  he  might  avoid  any  of  his  ir- 
religious acquaintances.  Afterwards  he  at- 
tended all  the  meetings,  both  day  and  night,  and 
was  brought  under  the  deepest  conviction  of  sin, 
and  the  need  of  a  new  heart.  His  fears  and 
doubts  caused  fearful  struggles  in  his  efforts  to 
come  into  the  light  and  peace  of  true  faith.  Like 
the  noble  Luther,  he  was  often  overwhelmed 
with  grief  and  his  health  became  impaired,  so 
that  his  watchful  mother  observed  it,  and  in- 
quired the  cause,  but  received  no  explanation. 
In  his  distress  he  often  wept  at  his  work  so  that 
the  tears  fell  into  the  furrows  as  he  followed 
the  plow.  One  evening  in  his  deep  sorrow  he 
went  out  into  the  field  to  wrestle  in  prayer  in 
the  dark,  as  Jacob  did.  On  that  memorable 
night  he  found  peace  in  believing,  and  learned  the 
lesson  so  valuable  to  him  in  his  subsequent  stren- 
uous life — the  necessity  of  calling  upon  God. 
He  soon  began  to  take  part  in  public  prayer, 
leading  all  the  meetings,  and  family  worship  at 
the  request  of  his  mother,  and  with  the  consent 
of  his  father,  who  was  not  then  a  member  of 
the  church. 

With  his  conversion  there  came  the  impres-  Determines 
sion   that  he  should   prepare    for  the   ministry,  administer 
But  how  could  he  obtain  the  necessary  educa- 


124  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

tion?  The  family  was  large  and  in  debt,  and 
much  needed  his  help.  After  attending  school 
in  the  neighborhood  three  months,  he  returned 
to  the  little  farm  in  the  spring,  to  resume  work. 
However,  these  hindrances  only  whetted  his  de- 
sire to  get  an  education  and  preach  the  gospel. 
To  procure  the  means  he  purchased  two  or  three 
wild  cherry  trees  of  a  neighbor  and  cross-cut 
them,  with  the  assistance  of  his  brother.  The 
sale  of  the  lumber  furnished  sixteen  dollars,  the 
start  of  his  education  fund.  He  now  asked  his 
father's  consent  to  leave  home,  which  was  given 
with  much  feeling,  and  the  remark  that  he  had 
already  remained  beyond  the  time  of  his  becom- 
ing of  age.  After  attending  an  academy  three 
months  he  taught  a  district  school  four  months, 
for  which  he  received  sixty-four  dollars.  With 
this  sum  he  started  in  1846  for  Springfield,  Ohio, 
to  Wittenberg  College,  the  Lutheran  institution 
then  recently  founded. 

AT    COLLEGE 

His  starting  to  college  was  an  important 
move  in  the  career  of  Officer,  as  it  led  him  to  the 
center  whence  radiated  the  lines  of  work  for 
which  he  was  to  prepare.  The  institution  was 
in  its  infancy,  struggling  to  gain  a  foothold  and 
to  rise  to  the  demands  of  that  period  of  develop- 
ment. The  advent  of  this  new  student  proved 
to  be  most  auspicious,  as  the  sequel  shows,  for 
his  innate  executive  ability  and  noble  spirit  fur- 
nished the  elements  so  important  in  that  forma- 


MORRIS  OFFICER  125 

tive  epoch  of  the  Church  in  the  West.  The  stu- 
dents of  that  day  were  men — not  boys,  so  often 
now  the  case,  and  most  of  them  had  a  fixed  pur- 
pose in  securing  an  education.  Officer  at  once 
took  his  position  at  the  head.  Amidst  a  group 
whose  names  have  since  become  well-known  in 
our  Church  as  founders  and  pastors  of  some  of 
our  strongest  congregations,  the  striking  figure  of 
young  Officer  stands  in  the  boyhood  memory 
of  the  writer  of  this  sketch  as  he  first  saw  him 
on  the  college  campus,  discussing  one  of  his 
favorite  topics  of  work.  There  was  a  rugged- 
ness  of  build  like  his  native  section,  indicating  his 
strength  of  character,  and  his  plain  face  lighted 
up  attractively  as  his  ringing  voice  expressed  in 
terse  English  his  views  and  arguments.  He  was 
an  independent  thinker  and  a  primitive  progres- 
sive in  his  cast  of  mind. 

The  College  President,  the  sainted  Dr.  Kel-  witten- 
ler^  with  his  rare  insight,  at  once  recognized  the  berg's  finan- 
natural  ability  of  this  young  man,  notwithstand- 
ing his  limited  education,  and  gave  him  employ- 
ment as  an  agent  of  the  institution  and  tutor  of 
some  of  the  lower  classes.  Three  years  later. 
Dr.  Sprecher,  the  successor  of  the  lamented  first 
President,  insisted  upon  Officer  taking  the  posi- 
tion of  superintendent  of  the  erection  of  the 
main  part  and  west  wing  of  the  unfinished  col- 
lege building.  It  was  an  arduous  task,  involving 
the  raising  of  $25,000.00  (a  large  sum  for  those 
times)  and  days  of  toil  and  anxiety  in  directing 
workmen  and  meeting  obligations.    His  Sundays 


126  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

were  spent  in  visiting  the  surrounding  churches 
appcaHng  for  means  to  meet  the  current  needs. 
He  was  often  in  straits.  But  his  faith  and  per- 
severance triumphed,  and  to-day  the  old  building 
that  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  served  all  pur- 
poses, but  is  now  the  dormitory,  stands  as  a 
memorial  of  his  indomitable  energy. 

The  experience  gained,  at  the  expense  of  book 
learning,  proved  of  much  value  to  him  in  later 
years  of  his  missionary  projects  at  home  and 
abroad,  and  his  disciplined  judgment  was  of  great 
use  to  the  Church  in  counsel  and  administra- 
tion. However,  those  early  years  of  strenuous- 
ness  and  overwork  tended  to  break  down  his 
constitution  and  impaired  his  health  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  suffered  from  the  efl'ects  in  all 
his  after  life.  He  records  how  often  he  worked 
in  weakness  and  distress.  Indeed,  it  was  re- 
markable how  he  accomplished  so  much  in  such 
ill  health  and  with  so  little  opportunity  for  rest 
or  study.  But  he  had  wonderful  organizing 
power  and  an  activity  that  infused  the  breath 
of  life  into  everything  that  he  undertook.  All 
along  his  marvelous  career  his  piety  gives  the 
key  to  the  man ;  and  his  faithfulness  and  prayer- 
fulness  tell  the  secret  of  his  success. 

His  journal,  commenced  in  college  in  1848  and 
continued  to  1874,  a  short  time  before  his  death, 
is  a  very  interesting  document  from  which  the 
material  has  been  drawn  for  this  sketch.  Its 
records  combine  his  autobiography  and  a  history 
of  Home  Missions  of  our  Church  in  that  period. 


MORRIS  OI-FICER  127 

Officer's  call  to  missionary  work  dates  from  Early  call 
his  call  to  the  ministry.  It  was  not  a  romantic  *°  '^^'^* 
or  ambitious  idea,  but  it  came  from  much  medi- 
tation and  prayer,  and  frequent  conversations 
with  fellow-students  who  entertained  the  same 
thought.  So  his  desire  and  purpose  grew  until 
1851,  when  he  propounded,  through  The  Lu- 
theran Observer,  the  question  whether  the  Lu- 
theran Church  should  found  a  mission  on  the 
west  coast  of  Africa.  He  proposed  to  open  the 
work  himself,  although  it  would  separate  him 
from  his  connection  with  the  college  and  involve 
great  personal  sacrifice. 

The  response  of  the  Church  to  this  appeal  was 
slow  and  indefinite.  So  he  opened  a  corre- 
spondence with  the  American  Missionary  Associ- 
ation, in  New  York,  and  arranged  to  go  to  Africa 
under  their  auspices,  on  condition  that  he  might 
eventually  establish  a  Lutheran  mission  on  the 
west  coast. 

HIS  FIRST  VISIT  TO  THE  DARK  CONTINENT 

In  1852  he  started  for  his  foreign  field,  and 
in  about  five  weeks  landed  in  Sierra  Leone. 
After  exploring  the  west  coast  and  after  many 
delays  and  hindrances,  finally  a  mission  named 
"Good  Hope"  was  founded.  His  labors  were  so 
arduous  that  the  deadly  climate  seriously  af- 
fected his  health.  His  fine  executive  ability  was 
highly  appreciated  by  the  American  Board,  and 
he  was  urged  to  remain  longer,  but  at  the  end 
of  a  year  and  a  half,  on  the  advice  of  his  friends, 
he  returned  home  with  the  firm  conviction  that 


128  MISvSIONARY  HEROES 

the  Lutheran  Church  should  estabhsh  a  mission 
on  the  west  coast  in  Liberia,  as  the  most  promis- 
ing field.  For  this  work  he  had  gained  much 
valuable  experience  and  information  that  prom- 
ised success. 

On  reaching  home  he  proposed  to  the  leading 
men  of  the  Church  his  plan  for  a  mission  in 
Africa.  It  was  soon  evident  to  him  that  he  would 
have  to  wait  awhile  for  an  expression  of  opinion. 
Meanwhile,  he  took  charge  of  the  church  in 
Findlay,  Ohio.  But  the  Spirit  of  God  continued 
to  direct  his  thoughts  and  efforts  as  he  per- 
sistently appealed  to  Synods  and  individuals  in 
behalf  of  his  project,  using  the  information  he 
had  gained. 
Calls  the  After  the  General  Synod  had  taken  favorable 

Church  to       action  in  the  matter  he,  under  their  direction, 

Africa 

went  mto  the  canvass  for  funds,  a  most  unde- 
sirable and  uninviting  undertaking  involving  an 
incredible  amount  of  labor  and  consuming  four 
years  of  precious  time.  What  is  now  done  by 
the  system  of  which  Officer  laid  the  foundation, 
had  then  to  be  done  by  one  individual  amid  the 
greatest  obstacles  and  discouragements  often 
from  those  who  should  have  helped  and  heart- 
ened him.  Up  and  down,  and  to  and  fro  in  the 
land,  he  went  by  all  sorts  of  ways  and  in  every 
kind  of  conveyance,  or  often  walking  from  five 
to  twenty-five  miles,  carrying  a  heavy  satchel. 
He  lodged  in  every  kind  of  place  from  the  man- 
sion of  the  rich  to  the  cabin  of  the  poor,  in  the 
noisy  tavern  and  uncomfortable  railroad  stations. 


MORRIS  OFFICER  129 

taking  trains  at  all  hours  and  in  all  kinds  of 
weather.  He  lectured  and  preached  at  any  time 
and  place  as  opportunity  offered,  filling  appoint- 
ments for  preachers  and  assisting  in  "protracted" 
meetings,  no  matter  how  tired  or  sick  he  was. 
Personally  he  was  well  received,  but  the  cause  he 
advocated  was  met  with  the  coldest  indifference 
as  well  as  with  the  most  cordial  approbation.  In 
the  scores  of  years  since  then  the  diffusion  of 
missionary  intelligence,  and  the  training  in  the 
grace  of  giving,  have  produced  the  improved 
condition  of  our  day.  In  order  to  keep  his  cur- 
rent expenses  down  to  a  minimum,  through  the 
claims  of  his  cause  he  secured  passes  on  the 
leading  railroads,  East  and  West,  thereby  saving 
much  money. 

FOUNDING  THE  MUHLENBERG   MISSION   IN   AFRICA 

On  February  23d,  i860.  Rev.  Officer  and  his 
appointed  assistant.  Rev.  H.  Heigerd,  sailed  for 
Africa  to  found  the  mission  contemplated  by 
our  Lutheran  Church.  A  touching  letter  to  his 
mother  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  expressed 
his  feelings  as  he  again  turned  to  his  field. 
Though  he  keenly  felt  the  separation  from  his 
family  he  accepted  it  in  the  line  of  duty  and 
went  forward  as  if  impelled  by  destiny,  for  he 
had  much  of  the  Puritan's  spirit.  On  arrival  at 
Monrovia,  in  April,  and  after  the  greetings  from 
his  former  acquaintances,  he  began  to  plan  his 
work,  and  to  realize  the  dream  of  his  long-cher- 
ished enterprise.  That  was  the  grandest  hour 
9 


130  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

of  his  life.  After  so  many  years  of  thinking  and 
planning,  of  praying  and  talking,  of  traveling 
and  soliciting,  of  sacrificing  and  suffering,  he 
was  at  length  on  the  ground,  duly  authorized 
to  establish  a  mission.  No  discoverer  or  ad- 
venturer could  surpass  him  in  the  delight  of  his 
consummation  or  anticipation.  Yet  in  it  all  he 
records  his  humble  dependence  on  God  for  final 
success. 

The  diflference  between  Africa  and  Asia  (es- 
pecially India)  as  a  mission  field,  is  very  marked 
in  its  contrast,  and  requires  a  variance  in  the 
make-up  of  the  missionary  and  in  the  program 
of  his  work.  The  contrast  lies  in  the  facts  that 
the  Dark  Continent  is  in  a  native  State  of  bar- 
barism, while  the  orient  is  in  a  condition  of  a 
vicious  exhausted  civilization.  Hence,  the  for- 
mer requires  as  a  missionary  an  all-around  man 
such  as  Stanley  described  when  he  sent  out  his 
appeal  for  Uganda.  He  says :  "It  needs  not  a 
mere  preacher,  but  a  practical  worker  who  can 
not  only  teach  the  natives  how  to  become  Chris- 
tians, but  how  to  build  houses,  to  rear  families, 
to  care  for  the  sick,  to  till  farms,  to  make  roads, 
to  make  laws  and  to  become  good  citizens."  This 
was  the  kind  of  a  man  Morris  Officer  was,  and 
such  was  the  work  he  started. 
Muhlenbei^  The  name  given  to  the  mission  was  that  of 
Mission  Muhlenberg,  the  patriarch  of  American  Luther- 

anism;  and  the  site  selected  is  on  the  St.  Paul 
River,  twenty-five  miles  from  Monrovia,  the  capi- 
tal of  Liberia.     The  President  of  the  Republic 


MORRIS  OFFICER  131 

donated  three  hundred  acres  of  land  for  the 
mission  settlement.  This  tract  was  utilized  for 
a  coffee  plantation,  and  small  farms.  The  mis- 
sion buildings  are  located  on  an  elevation  about 
one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  river  and  the 
music  of  the  falls  continually  greets  the  ear. 
Near  the  house  is  an  unfailing  spring  of  pure 
water.  The  improvements  necessary  were  made 
with  the  help  of  natives  employed  under  the  di- 
rection of  Officer,  the  man-of-all-work.  Some- 
times the  treachery  and  selfishness  of  the  negro 
were  manifested  in  opposition  to  the  most  im- 
portant projects,  such  as  public  roads,  but  pa- 
tience triumphed. 

Just  when  the  work  had  reached  the  stage  in  Fjrst  start 
which  regular  teaching  could  be  commenced,  a 
remarkable  providence  furnished  the  native  pu- 
pils desired.  Two  slavers,  with  cargoes  of  fif- 
teen hundred  Congo  captives,  had  been  captured 
by  United  States  cruisers  and  were  brought  to 
Liberia.  From  these  Officer  selected  twenty  boys 
and  twenty  girls  for  the  mission.  They  were 
in  sad  plight,  poor,  weak  and  nearly  naked,  with 
the  exception  of  a  small  piece  of  calico  which  had 
been  given  them  when  they  landed.  Through  an 
interpreter  they  were  given  to  understand  that 
they  would  be  well  fed  and  well  treated.  In 
selecting  them  there  was  a  cloth  put  on  each  of 
them,  and  most  of  them  were  much  pleased  with 
the  dress.  The  girls  misunderstood  the  inter- 
preter and  ran  off  to  the  bush,  fearing  they  would 
be  returned  to  slavery,  but  were  finally  pacified 


132  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

and  received  their  piece  of  cloth.  When  they 
arrived  at  Muhlenberg  Mr.  Heigerd  took  the 
boys  up  to  the  mission  and  the  girls  were  placed 
in  the  care  of  a  woman  who  could  talk  with 
them  and  cared  for  them.  It  was  truly  a  busy 
time,  looking  after  forty  destitute  children.  The 
United  States  Government  agreed  to  furnish  the 
clothing,  but  it  was  not  at  hand.  So  other  ma- 
terial had  to  be  purchased  and  made  up.  But 
how  should  teachers  and  attendants  be  supplied? 
The  matter  was  providentially  met  by  the  unex- 
pected arrival  of  the  very  persons  needed.  Only 
a  few  days  before  the  arrival  of  the  captives  a 
civilized  Congo,  who  had  been  in  the  republic 
some  twenty  years,  applied  for  work  at  the  mis- 
sion, and  thus  became  the  interpreter  when  the 
children  came.  In  a  like  providential  manner,  a 
very  short  time  previous  to  this,  Miss  Kilpatrick, 
who  had  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  had  resigned  her  work  preparatory  to 
going  home,  and  so  was  free  to  take  charge  of 
the  Congo  girls.  Also,  a  pious  colored  widow 
had  made  application  for  work,  and  at  once  be- 
gan to  assist  to  teach  and  care  for  the  girls. 
Thus  aided  by  providence,  Officer  was  enabled  to 
take  in  hand  the  work  that  so  unexpectedly  came 
to  him. 
Naming  In  Starting  a  school  one  of  the  first  steps  is 

children  ^q  make  a  roU,  which  was  a  very  difficult  matter 
with  this  nondescript  collection,  with  outlandish 
names.  A  novel  method  was  used,  viz.,  tagging 
them  by  fastening  cards  on  them  with  the  names 


MORRIS  OFFICER  133 

of  Americans.  So  there  were  selected  name- 
sakes of  some  twenty  of  the  prominent  ministers 
and  laymen  and  lay  women  of  our  Church  at 
home.  At  random  these  cards  were  put  on  the 
backs  of  the  children  according  to  their  sex, 
and  each  taught  their  name  by  pointing  to  it  and 
pronouncing  it.  They  did  not  appear  to  be  a 
very  promising  lot  of  heathen  juveniles ;  but  it 
was  hoped  that  they  might,  in  time,  somewhat 
measure  up  to  the  distinguished  names  they  bore. 
Six  months  later  the  journal  records  the  im- 
provement the  children  made  in  acquiring  the 
English  language,  and  in  learning  the  Avays  of 
civilization.  This  awakened  in  the  adjoining 
natives  a  desire  to  have  their  children  placed  un- 
der the  care  of  the  mission. 

At  the  time  of  the  rice  harvest  the  twenty  boys 
worked  for  the  nearest  native  chief,  receiving 
as  their  pay  one  sheaf  out  of  every  six,  thus 
helping  to  provide  supplies  for  the  mission. 

The  daily  program  of  the  school  was  as  fol-  Daily 
lows :  A  morning  service  at  five  o'clock,  open-  program 
ing  with  the  repeating  of  the  Ten  Command- 
ments by  all  the  pupils,  led  by  the  teachers,  and 
concluding  with  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Then  they 
sang  a  hymn  and  the  doxology.  The  schedule 
for  each  day's  work  was  divided  into  regular 
periods.  This  order  proved  to  be  so  admirably 
adapted  to  this  manual  labor  mission,  that  for 
many  years  it  has  not  been  materially  altered,  and 
is  to-day  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
institutions  on  the  west  coast. 


134  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

Mission  The  Opening  of  the  country  house  which  was 

house  i^yjjj.  £qj.  ^^q  Congo  girls  was  celebrated  with  a 

dinner  for  the  entire  company,  which  was  pre- 
pared under  the  superintendence  of  Miss  Kil- 
patrick  and  Mr.  Heigerd,  with  the  aid  of  a  few 
natives.  An  address  was  made  by  Officer 
through  an  interpreter. 

The  marriage  of  Rev,  Heigerd  and  Miss  Kil- 
patrick  was  an  important  event  which  took  place 
in  the  presence  of  the  entire  company  consti- 
tuting the  mission.  The  meaning  of  the  cere- 
mony was  explained  to  the  children,  who  could 
not  understand  the  change  in  the  name  and  posi- 
tion of  Miss  Kilpatrick,  as  she  seemed  to  them 
to  be  still  the  same  person. 

The  next  event  of  note  was  the  organization 
of  the  church  and  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Heigerd 
as  its  pastor,  completing  the  steps  in  founding 
the  Muhlenberg  Mission  in  February,  1861. 

Of  the  success  of  this  mission  three  years  later 
Miss  Hannah  Moore,  of  the  mission  at  Mendi, 
wrote:  "The  wilderness  has  truly  blossomed  as 
the  rose.  The  children  have  improved  so  much 
that  there  is  none  other  like  this  school  on  the 
coast,  and  best  of  all  is  their  interest  in  religion. 
It  does  one's  heart  good  to  hear  them  pray.  They 
implore  God's  blessing  on  the  dear  missionaries 
sent  to  them  and  on  their  benefactors  in  "big 
America." 

Officer  said  that  he  did  not  purpose  to  make 
a  mission.  He  only  attempted  to  plant  one.  God 
would  give  the  increase.    Thus  far  it  has  proved 


MORRIS  OFFICER  135 

to  be  of  divine  planting  and  promises  to  be  an 
evergreen  which  will  attain  to  full  maturity  in 
the  time  of  the  complete  redemption  of  Africa. 

In  one  of  his  records  at  the  mission  he  asks  the 
question,  "What  will  be  the  state  of  this  place 
twenty  or  fifty  years  hence?  Will  it  be  over- 
grown with  bush  and  be  half  deserted  as  are 
so  many  of  the  settlements  in  Liberia?  God  for- 
bid!" The  answer  to  this,  fifty  years  after,  in 
1910,  is  the  report  of  two  of  its  present  mis- 
sionaries. Missionary  Straw  writes  on  his  re- 
turn from  a  visit  to  the  interior  over  one  hun- 
dred miles  from  the  coast,  where  a  station  has 
been  started:  "The  whole  Liberian  Hinterland 
is  open  to  us,  and  our  ability  to  occupy  it  is  lim- 
ited only  by  the  number  of  our  workers.  A  dis- 
trict superintendent  will  have  to  be  appointed 
to  look  after  the  outposts."  Missionary  Neibel, 
recently  returned,  gives  the  most  glowing  ac- 
counts of  the  conditions  and  outlook  and  his  an- 
ticipations of  the  work,  if  the  Church  will  come 
up  to  its  help.  There  are  nine  missionaries  on 
the  ground  and  two  hundred  pupils  in  the  schools, 
and  the  property  is  valued  at  $50,000.00.  What 
hath  God  wrought ! 

In  April,  1861,  just  one  year  from  the  time  of  Return  to 
his  landing  in  Africa,  Officer  reached  Baltimore  America  and 

°  bupenntend- 

on  his  return  and  made  his  report  to  the  Mis-  entofHome 
sionary  Committee,  who  were  very  much  grati-  ^'^sions 
fied  with  the  success  of  the  enterprise. 

The  closing  part  of  this  sketch  is  devoted  to  a 
narrative  of  Officer's  connection  with  the  Home 


136  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

Missionary  operations  for  seven  years — the  most 
important  in  its  history,  involving  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Board  and  the  extension  of  its  field. 
This  was  not  a  digression,  but  an  integral  part 
of  his  career  as  a  promoter  of  advance  move- 
ments, and  illustrates  the  unity  of  mission  work 
at  home  and  abroad.  It  was  a  renewal  of  his  old 
pursuit  with  the  wider  experience  and  increased 
ability  of  years.  His  desire  personally  was  to  be 
stationed  as  a  home  missionary,  but  his  excep- 
tional qualifications  for  the  management  of  en- 
terprises marked  him  as  the  man  for  Superin- 
tendent, and  on  the  urgency  of  the  Committee, 
he  accepted  the  position  in  1864,  and  entered 
upon  a  service  involving  great  responsibility. 
Sacrifices  The  records  of  his  journal  at  this  time  are  in- 
tensely interesting  and  indicate  his  wonderful 
activity  and  self-sacrifice.  He  would  accept 
only  a  meager  salary,  simply  sufficient  for  his 
support,  although  he  was  often  urged  to  take 
more,  yet  he  refused  because  he  did  not  think 
it  consistent  while  he  was  urging  the  people  to 
make  sacrifices  for  missions. 

As  he  was  obliged  to  be  away  from  home  so 
much  he  usually  tried  to  locate  his  family  in 
places  within  convenient  distance  for  his  return 
to  them  as  often  as  possible.  But  as  his  work 
changed  from  time  to  time,  it  was  necessary  for 
him  to  make  frequent  removals.  So  it  is  not 
surprising  to  find  in  one  of  his  last  records  the 
following :  "Once  more  we  packed  our  goods  for 
moving.    This  is  the  twenty-sixth  time  in  twenty- 


MORRIS  OFFICER  137 

one  years."  What  a  contrast  this  with  the  cases 
of  some  immovable  parsons  of  great  staying 
qualities  in  long  pastorates ! 

The  condition  of  our  Home  Mission  work  was  Promotion  of 
peculiar  and  perplexing,  requiring  in  that  critical  co-operative 
period,  an  administrative  ability  of  the  highest 
order.  In  the  past  there  was  little  attempt  at 
union  or  co-operation  of  the  district  Synods  in 
the  promotion  of  Home  Mission  work.  There 
was  no  system  of  co-operation ;  no  regular  re- 
ports or  visitation,  and  no  reliable  source  of  in- 
come to  meet  missionary  expenses  or  to  aid 
destitute  congregations.  The  work  was  spas- 
modic, under  the  supervision  of  synodical  com- 
mittees, remittent  and  unsatisfactory.  This 
state  of  affairs  had  been  observed  by  Officer 
and  he  had  frequently  called  attention  to  it  by 
word  and  pen.  Now  it  was  up  to  him  to  apply 
the  remedies  and  to  bring  order  and  co-operation 
out  of  this  confusion. 

The  records  of  this  period  show  his  masterly 
activity  in  traveling,  preaching,  soliciting,  can- 
vassing new  fields,  and  securing  men  to  occupy 
them.  A  heavy  drain  on  him  were  his  efforts  to 
encourage  desponding  missionaries  to  hold  on 
and  hope  on.  Like  Paul,  he  could  speak  of  the 
care  of  the  churches.  His  devotion  and  en- 
thusiasm enabled  him  to  interest  young  men  just 
starting  out  into  the  ministry,  and  his  journal 
notes  his  frequent  visits  to  Wittenberg  College 
to  secure  men  for  the  new  stations  he  was 
locating. 


138 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Untiring 
efforts 


New  organ- 
ization 
Boards 


A  sample  of  his  untiring  industry  appears  in 
the  record  of  the  thirty  days  of  one  November. 
He  wrote  one  hundred  and  three  letters; 
preached  ten  times;  lectured  three  times;  spoke 
to  Sunday  schools  four  times ;  attended  two  long 
sessions  of  the  Board,  for  which  he  previously 
prepared  the  business,  and  made  the  minutes 
during  the  sessions  and  afterwards  recorded 
them;  attended  one  meeting  of  the  Church  Ex- 
tension Board;  spent  nearly  two  days  in  a  meet- 
ing of  the  Committee  on  the  Revision  of  the 
Hymn  Book;  wrote  three  communications  for 
church  papers;  attended  two  conference  meet- 
ings and  traveled  hundreds  of  miles.  And  yet  he 
writes:  "I  have  not  been  able  to  attend  to  all 
that  was  demanded."  One  week  he  is  in  Altoona, 
Pa.,  consulting  synodical  officials,  and  the  next 
week  visiting  a  half  dozen  places  in  the  State  of 
Kansas,  ending  in  St.  Louis,  procuring  railroad 
passes  on  various  lines.  What  ubiquitous 
activity ! 

In  1866  at  Fort  Wayne  occurred  the  division 
in  the  General  Synod,  by  which  several  Synods 
went  out  and  formed  a  new  organization  under 
the  name  of  the  General  Council.  In  this  crisis, 
requiring  the  best  administrative  ability  in  our 
Home  Mission  Department,  Officer  proved  him- 
self to  be  the  man  for  the  hour. 

The  most  important  step  on  the  new  basis  was 
the  organization  of  the  Board  instead  of  the 
Committee.  Under  the  new  administration,  as 
its   Secretary,   Officer   displayed   his   organizing 


MORRIS  OFFICER  139 

ability,  as  he  never  had  before  in  any  other  work. 
Only  those  who  were  his  immediate  co-laborers 
will  ever  understand  the  difficulties  that  were  to 
be  overcome  and  the  immense  labor  performed 
in  securing  our  present  system,  which  has  unified 
the  Church  in  its  Home  Missionary  operations. 
Like  a  field  marshal  he  led  the  scattered  forces, 
and  brought  them  into  line.  Now,  after  two 
score  years  the  survey  of  the  field  traversed  in 
that  day  of  small  things  reveals  the  foresight  of 
the  Superintendent  who  reconnoitred  the  posi- 
tions and  recommended  the  most  promising  ones ; 
such  as  the  present  strong  churches  in  St.  Louis, 
Des  Moines,  Omaha,  Wheeling,  and  many  others. 
Much  depended  on  liis  thorough,  toilsome  can- 
vass of  the  prospective  material,  the  availability 
and  the  desirability  of  the  location.  No  real  es- 
tate operator  of  our  day  could  possess  or  exer- 
cise more  talent  in  his  business  for  future  gain 
than  did  this  honest,  earnest  man  of  God,  with- 
out promise  of  emolument,  "poor  yet  making 
God's  people  rich." 

Years  of  such  unceasing  travel,  toil  and  anx-  Resignation 
iety,  culminating  in  sickness  that  laid  him  up  for  f°^,'}) 
days  and  weeks,  compelled  him  to  resign  his  posi- 
tion as  Superintendent  in  1871,  when  he  retired 
from  the  Home  Missionary  work  of  the  Lutheran 
Church.  From  exposure  in  his  labors  at  home 
and  abroad,  his  iron  constitution  had  begun  to 
give  way,  and  his  throat  and  his  rigiit  lung  had 
become  so  diseased  that  he  appeared  to  be  per- 
manently disabled  from  public  speaking.     Thus 


140  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

laid  aside  from  the  active  ministry  with  his  lim- 
ited means,  he  cast  about  for  some  way  of  mak- 
ing a  living  for  his  family,  and  decided  to  try 
farming,  the  pursuit  of  his  boyhood.  Purchas- 
ing a  piece  of  unimproved  land  in  Kansas,  he 
removed  his  family  to  the  prairie  frontier.  While 
in  Topeka  making  purchases  for  their  rustic  life, 
he  wrote  his  reflections  as  follows:  "This  is  a 
sad  day,  as  it  marks  my  practical  entrance  into 
secular  pursuits,  and,  at  least,  a  temporary  aban- 
donment of  the  ministry.  Again  and  again,  as  I 
walked  the  streets,  I  thought  it  could  not  be,  and 
I  almost  turned  back  in  my  course.  Yet  I  think 
I  am  doing  right,  and  I  pray  God  to  direct  me, 
and  that  I  may  always  be  useful  to  my  fellow- 
beings  and  may  resume  the  ministry,  if  my  health 
and  circumstances  permit."  What  a  reverse 
this  is  for  one  so  devoted  to  his  calling!  How 
much  it  shows  the  need  of  the  Church  making 
provision  for  its  disabled  ministers. 

But  his  days  of  service  were  numbered,  and 
with  diminishing  financial  resources  and  increas- 
ing afflictions  in  his  own  person  and  in  the  death 
of  a  dear  little  son,  he  was  going  down  through 
the  valley  of  trial,  yet  trusting  in  the  Shepherd 
and  His  rod  and  staff. 
Closing  days  After  a  few  efforts  at  some  pastoral  work 
amid  much  weakness  and  suffering,  the  end  came 
on  apace.  Away  from  his  former  associates,  in 
a  strange  land,  surrounded  by  his  family  and  a 
few  acquaintances,  he  drew  near  to  the  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death.    His  eight-year-old  son. 


MORRIS  OFFICER  141 

Albert,  at  his  request,  read  the  fourteenth  chap- 
ter of  John,  his  favorite.  When  the  seventeenth 
verse  was  read,  he  said,  "That  will  do."  His  de- 
voted wife,  who  had  so  long  and  often  borne  the 
burdens  of  the  family,  hoping  for  a  rest,  when 
in  some  quiet  place  of  comfort  she  might  enjoy 
the  companionship  of  the  noble  man,  who  away 
from  her  and  the  home  had  given  his  services  to 
the  Church,  now  in  this  hour  of  bereavement  she 
realized  that  she  was  losing  him,  gave  up,  and 
from  her  stricken  heart  there  came  the  cry,  "Oh, 
Morris,  I  cannot  live  without  you !"  He  solemnly 
replied,  "God  will  be  your  all  in  all."  On  Sun-  The  end 
day  morning  the  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
Church  called,  and  at  the  death-bed  offered  a 
fervent  prayer,  to  which  the  passing  saint  re- 
sponded, "Amen  and  amen !"  As  the  bell  was 
calling  others  to  the  house  of  God,  the  spirit 
went  up  to  the  house  not  made  with  hands,  to 
be  forever  with  the  Lord.  The  organist,  a  per- 
sonal friend  of  Ofificer,  sat  in  his  place  to  open 
the  morning  service,  and  when  the  pastor  came  in 
and  announced  the  sad  news  to  him,  he  played 
a  voluntary  into  which  he  poured  the  tribute  of 
his  heart  in  a  touching  manner.  The  community 
realized  that  a  Christian  man  of  eminent  services 
to  the  Church  had  departed  from  their  midst. 
But  who  from  actual  acquaintance  could  bear 
testimony  to  his  worth  and  describe  the  great 
work  of  his  life  in  other  States  or  in  foreign 
lands?  Then,  to  answer  this  need,  came  a  re- 
markable providence  like  others  in  his  life.    On 


142  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

Monday,  Rev.  J.  W.  Goodman,  an  intimate 
friend  and  co-laborer  in  the  Lutheran  Church, 
who  had  succeeded  him  as  Superintendent  of 
Home  Missions,  was  standing  on  a  platform  at 
a  station  in  western  Kansas,  hesitating  as  to 
what  point  he  should  direct  his  journey,  when  an 
eastbound  train  came  along  and  he  was  im- 
pressed that  he  should  go  to  Topeka,  and  he 
stepped  aboard,  arriving  in  time  to  take  part  in 
the  funeral  services  and  rehearsing  some  of  the 
things  told  in  this  sketch. 

Thus,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years  three 
months  and  ten  days,  ended  the  earthly  life  of 
Morris  Officer,  one  of  the  choice  spirits  in  the 
ministry  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  His  remains 
were  removed  a  few  years  later,  and  now  rest  in 
the  beautiful  Fern  Cliff  Cemetery  of  Springfield, 
Ohio,  near  the  college  where  he  began  his  re- 
markable career  as  student,  teacher,  minister  of 
the  gospel,  missionary  of  the  Cross — servant  of 
Christ  in  all  things.  In  that  City  of  the  Dead 
stand  the  headstones  of  the  college  presidents  and 
many  of  his  co-workers  whose  labors  were  not 
in  vain  in  the  Lord.  A  poem  pasted  on  the  fly- 
leaf of  his  journal,  near  its  close,  is  so  fitting  in 
its  description  of  his  character  and  career,  that 
it  is  here  inserted  as  the  finis. 

MY   PRAYER 

"Let  me  not  die  before  I've  done  for  Thee 
My  earthly  work,  whatever  it  may  be ; 
Call  me  not  hence  with  mission  unfulfilled; 
Let  me  not  leave  my  space  of  ground  untilled. 


MORRIS  OFFICER  143 

Impress  this  truth  upon  nie :  that  not  one 

Can  do  my  portion  that  I  leave  undone ; 

For  each  one  in  Thy  vineyard  hath  a  spot 

To  labor  in  for  life,  and  weary  not. 

Then  give  me  strength,  all  faithfully  to  toil. 

Converting  barren  earth  to  fruitful  soil. 

I  long  to  be  an  instrument  of  Thine 

To  gather  worshipers  unto  Thy  shrine ; 

To  be  the  means  one  human  soul  to  save 

From  the  dark  terrors  of  a  hopeless  grave. 

Yet  most  I  want  a  spirit  of  content. 

To  work  wherever  Thou  dost  wish  my   labors  spent. 

Whether  at  home,  or  in  a  stranger  clime. 

In  days  of  joy  or  sorrow's  sterner  clime. 

I  want  a  spirit  passive,  to  lie  still. 

And  by  Thy  power  to  do  Thy  holy  will. 

And  when  the  prayer  doth  to  my  lips  arise, 

Before  a  new  home  doth  my  soul  surprise. 

Let  me  accomplish  some  great  work  for  Thee, 

Subdue  it,  Lord,  let  my  petition  be ; 

Oh !  make  me  useful  in  this  world  of  Thine. 

Let  me  not  leave  my  space  of  ground  unfilled, 

Call  me  not  hence  with  mission  unfulfilled. 

Let  me  not  die  before  I've  done  for  Thee 

My  earthly  work,  whatever  it  may  be." 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER 


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JOHN    HENRY    HARPSTER 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER. 

BY  L.  B.  WOLF,  D.D. 

Nestled  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  lower  ranges  Birthplace 
of  the  Alleghenies,  in  Center  County,  lies  the 
little  village  of  Center  Hall,  Pa.  Here,  amid 
the  quiet  of  the  valley,  in  a  humble  home,  John 
Henry  Harpster  was  born,  on  the  27th  of  April, 
1844.  He  spent  his  youthful  days  playing 
around  his  father's  shop,  with  the  boys  of  the 
village,  no  one  for  a  moment  dreaming  what  an 
eventful  and  distinguished  future  was  before 
him.  John  attended  the  village  school,  showed 
no  more,  certainly  no  less,  interest  in  his  school 
work  than  many  another  schoolmate.  But  times 
were  coming  in  the  near  future  that  made  boys 
men  in  a  few  days.  The  shadow  of  a  mighty 
struggle  was  beginning  to  cast  its  gloom  before. 
War-clouds  were  lowering,  and  soon  the  tempest 
shock  was  heard  throughout  the  land.  It  echoed 
over  hill  and  through  valley  and  awoke  to  glory 
and  to  fame  many  a  sturdy  son  of  the  land. 
The  conflict  was  coming  on  apace  when  young  Coming 
Harpster  had  scarcely  completed  his  sixteenth  conflict 
year,  and  before  he  knew  it,  it  drew  him  into 
the  whirlwind  of  conflict,  and,  in  spite  of  the 
unwillingness  of  his  father  and  the  tears  of  his 
mother,  as  in  the  case  of  many  a  lad  in 
147 


14S  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

those  days,  he  left  for  the  front — a  volunteer 
before  he  had  attained  the  seventeenth  year  of 
his  age.  His  soul  was  set  on  fire  by  the  prospect 
of  conflict,  and  he  was  soon  to  show  in  the 
thick  of  battle  of  "what  stufif  he  was  made." 
He  joined  Company  H,  7th  Regiment,  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers,  April,  1861,  and  later  Company 
G,  148th  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
ex-Governor  Beaver,  colonel,  and  was  promoted 
from  one  position  to  another,  being  mustered 
out  of  the  service  June  ist,  1865,  at  the  close 
of  the  war,  as  captain,  having  declined  promotion 
to  higher  rank,  because  of  his  preference  for  a 
staff  position.  He  served  on  the  stafif  of  Gen- 
erals Miles,  Caldwell  and  Hayes,  at  different 
times,  and  at  Gettysburg,  in  carrying  out  orders, 
was  severely  wounded  and  was  borne  off  the 
field  with  but  little  hope  of  life. 
School  life  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  soon  back  at  his 
books  and  getting  ready  for  his  life's  work.  He 
attended  our  educational  institution  at  Selins- 
grove.  Pa.,  then  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Zieg- 
ler;  and  after  a  course  there,  went  to  Gettysburg, 
Pa.,  to  study  for  the  ministry  at  our  Theological 
Seminary,  having  Dr.  Dornblaser  at  Selinsgrove, 
and  Drs.  Clutz  and  Finkbiner  at  Gettysburg,  and 
other  well-known  men  in  the  Church,  as  class- 
mates. 
Turning  ^^  ^^  appreciation  from  Dr.  Dornblaser,  the 

point  turning  point  in  Dr.  Harpster's  life  is  referred 

to.     He  was  called  home  by  the  sickness  of  his 
mother.     On   her  death-bed   she   said  to  him: 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER  149 

"My  dear  son  John,  you  are  my  youngest  child.  Mother's 
When  you  were  born  I  dedicated  you  to  the  P''*y^''^ 
Lord,  and  when  you  were  in  the  army  I  prayed 
every  day  that  your  life  might  be  spared  and 
that  the  way  might  be  opened  for  you  to  become 
a  minister  of  the  gospel.  I  must  leave  you  very 
soon,  but  oh !  how  happy  I  could  die  if  I  knew 
you  were  going  to  be  a  preacher."  These  dying 
■words  of  his  mother  touched  him  so  deeply  that 
he  promised  to  carry  out  her  wish  if  the  way 
was  opened  to  him.  Harpster  came  back  from 
his  mother's  grave  a  new  man.  At  the  first 
mid-week  prayer  service  he  surprised  Dr.  Born 
and  the  rest  of  us  by  volunteering  for  the  first 
time  in  public  prayer,  and  himself  pleading  for 
grace  and  strength  to  help  him  carry  out  his  new 
resolutions.  From  that  time  on  his  mind  was  set 
upon  the  work  of  the  ministry.  It  was  the  heroic 
that  appealed  to  his  nature,  and  for  this  reason, 
as  well  as  the  great  need,  the  foreign  field  was  so 
attractive  to  him. 

The  following  touching  incident  shows  how  Pet  canary 
deep  was  his  love  for  his  mother:  Soon  after 
his  mother's  death  his  pet  canary,  to  which  she 
had  been  greatly  attached,  died.  He  had  a  taxi- 
dermist preserve  the  bird,  and  for  forty-five 
years  carried  its  little  lifeless  body  with  him 
wherever  he  went.  It  always  had  a  place  in  or 
on  his  study  desk.  Twice  it  went  with  him 
around  the  world ;  three  times  to  India  and  back. 
After  his  death  it  was  found  carefully  wrapped 
up,  in  perfect  condition,  upon  his  study  table,  and 


150  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

was  placed  in  his  casket  next  the  tender  heart 
which  had  cherished  it  so  long. 
Gettysburg  It  was  at  Gettysburg,  in  1871,  that  he  was 
experience  discovered  and  became  forever  afterward  a 
strong  advocate  of  Foreign  Missions.  Dr.  E. 
Unangst  was  home  from  India  on  his  first  fur- 
lough. He  was  looking  out  for  men  to  accom- 
pany him  to  the  field  on  his  return.  The  war 
had  not  only  demoralized  the  college  work  of 
the  country,  but  also  jeopardized  the  cause  of 
missions.  Our  India  Mission  was  in  great  peril 
of  collapse,  and  only  one  missionary  was  on  the 
field  to  save  the  day.  Harpster's  heroic  spirit 
was  stirred  by  the  appeal  made  of  the  mighty 
work  that  could  be  accomplished  if  only  the 
necessary  means  and  workers  could  be  secured. 
He  was  set  on  fire  with  the  missionary  motive, 
and  it  became  the  fixed  star  in  his  life's  horizon. 
It  never  set.  The  cause  was  ever  first  in  his 
thought,  and  the  more  difficult  the  undertaking, 
the  more  it  appealed  to  the  heroic  and  manly  in 
him.  And  he  was  made  on  an  heroic  mold  in- 
deed. 
Call  to  The  call  came  to  him  in  November,  1871;  he 

India  ^^^5   ^j-,gj^   twenty-seven   years    of   age,    with   a 

brilliant  war  record  that  made  him  popular 
everywhere.  With  gifts  as  a  public  speaker  of 
a  high  order,  that  won  for  him  favor  wherever 
he  went,  and  with  bright  prospects  for  a  noble 
and  useful  career  in  the  home  field.  But  the 
needs  of  the  Church's  India  Mission  had  entered 
his  soul,  and  with  one  of  old,  "immediately  he 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER  151 

conferred  not  with  flesh  and  blood,"  but  as  sud- 
denly as  came  the  call  so  quickly  came  the  re- 
sponse, and  he  said  with  soldier-like  promptness 
and  courage  to  the  Great  Captain  of  his  salva- 
tion, "Here  am  I,  send  me."  He  was  ready  in 
a  short  time  to  sail  away  to  far-off  India,  with 
his  co-worker.  Dr.  Unangst.  At  a  special  called  Ordination 
meeting  of  the  Maryland  Synod,  on  December  departure 
20th,  1 87 1,  within  a  month  after  he  heard  the 
needs  of  our  India  field,  he  was  ordained  in 
Baltimore ;  and  on  January  6th,  1872,  a  few 
weeks  later,  he  begins  his  journey  to  the  land 
which  was  to  claim  his  best  thought  and  deepest 
devotion  for  almost  twenty-two  years  of  his 
life.  Going  to  India  via  Europe,  the  Levant 
Ports,  Palestine  and  Egypt,  made  possible  by 
the  gifts  of  friends,  he  spent  a  few  months  on 
the  way  amid  the  scenes  of  great  interest  to  him 
as  a  Bible  student,  and  on  April  ist,  1872,  en- 
tered the  Guntur  Mission  at  a  time  when  the 
work  was  at  its  lowest  ebb,  having  been  left 
without  an  American  missionary  for  a  year  and 
more.  It  was  no  easy  situation  that  opened  up 
to  him.  But  he  and  Dr.  Unangst  were  congenial 
souls,  and  he  soon  took  hold  of  the  work  with 
a  zeal  and  energy,  with  a  love  and  devotion,  that 
overcame  all  difficulties.  He  made  rapid  prog- 
ress in  the  vernacular,  and  Telugu,  as  he  wrote 
later,  became  to  him  a  more  expressive  tongue 
to  him  than  his  own. 

His  life's  plan  contemplated  only  foreign  work, 
but  he  was  destined  to  have  that  purpose  modi- 


152  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

fied.  He  worked  in  India  the  first  time,  from 
January  6th,  1872,  to  ]\Iarch  22d,  1876,  a  period 
of  more  than  four  years  of  most  strenuous  and 
self-sacrificing  labor. 

Writing  on  his  enforced  withdrawal.  Dr.  Uhl 
says,  "Brother  Harpster  was  equal  to  the  work 
as  few  men  are  and  yet  he  was  not  equal  to  it. 
He  was  master  in  spirit  and  in  will;  but  the  old 
Torrid  Zone  over-mastered  his  physical  endur- 
rance.  May  the  Church  ever  be  favored  with 
such  hearted  men." 

Pastor  John  said  of  him  on  the  same  occasion, 
"We  may  see  this  missionary  no  more;  but  if 
he  shall  come  here  again  it  will  be  our  gladdest 
day." 

Of  his  courageous  spirit  just  before  leaving 
hear  him  say,  "Am  I  a  coward  fleeing  from  my 
work?  Nay,  truly  the  answer  is  given,  that  they 
who  are  carried  off  the  field  with  their  own 
blood  upon  their  garments  are  not  cowards." 
Enforced  He  left  India  most  unwillingly.     His  health 

withdrawal  compelled  him  to  it.  Arriving  in  America  by 
way  of  the  Golden  Gate,  after  some  time  spent 
on  the  west  coast,  he  began  his  work  in  the  home- 
land, first  at  Hays  City,  Kansas;  then  at  Trenton, 
N.  J.;  and  finally  at  Canton,  Ohio,  spending 
more  than  seventeen  years  in  the  pastorate  and 
giving  full  proof  of  his  ministry. 

But  all  the  while  he  longed  for  his  India  field. 
He  hears  his  converts  of  the  Palnad  field  calling 
him  back.  Again  the  vision  of  the  great  East 
and  its  needs  rises  before  him,  and  soon  he  sets 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER  153 

his  face  toward  the  rising  sun.  Resigning  his 
Canton  pastorate,  October  ist,  1893,  to  spend  his 
remaining  days  as  a  missionary,  in  the  midst  of 
his  work  he  passses  into  the  Great  Beyond,  from 
Mt.  Airy,  Philadelphia,  February  ist,  191 1 — 
thus  dividing  his  public  busy  life  of  thirty-nine 
years  into  two  parts :  Seventeen  and  a  half  of 
which  he  gave  to  service  in  the  home  Church 
and  nearly  twenty-one  and  a  half  years  to  India. 
Let  us  follow  somewhat  in  detail  this  outline 
of  his  life,  noting  how  he  fulfilled  the  high  pur- 
pose thereof,  and  did  the  work  God  called  him 
to  do. 

We  have  followed  him  as  he  entered  his  for-  First  term, 
eign  work.  He  spent  the  first  months  in  the  study  India  service 
of  Telugu,  and  with  his  fellow-worker.  Dr. 
Unangst,  soon  began  to  tour  among  the  villages 
and  to  gain  experience  as  a  missionary  by  preach- 
ing and  carrying  on  the  work  of  those  early  days. 
As  yet  there  was  no  organized  Conference  to 
guide  the  young  missionary.  But  it  was  early  in 
his  first  years,  that  more  organized  work  was 
undertaken,  and  the  India  records  show  his 
hand  in  those  early  beginnings.  Within  a  year 
he  had  accompanied  Dr.  Unangst  to  the  different 
parts  of  the  field,  and  shortly  thereafter,  had, 
with  him,  determined  to  start  a  new  station  at 
Bapatla,  thirty-one  miles  to  the  south  of  Guntur, 
in  which  a  site  for  a  bungalow  was  secured  and 
is  held  in  part  to-day  by  the  mission.  Subse- 
quently different  counsels  prevailing,  in  the  re- 
distribution  of   the   work.    Brother   Rowe   was 


154  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

placed  in  the  eastern  and  southern  field,  and  the 
hard  and  feverish  Palnad  fell  to  Harpster's  lot. 
Here  he  carried  on  the  mission,  first  with  his 
Eurasian  assistant,  Rev.  Mr.  Cully,  and  later 
on  with  Pastor  John,  after  Cully  withdrew  from 
our  mission.  In  the  report  of  the  mission  in 
1875,  rnade  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  it  is  recorded  in 
the  words  of  one  of  his  fellow-workers :  "Brother 
Harpster  is  faithfully  at  work  in  his  field."  And 
what  a  field !  He  was  the  first  American  mis- 
Success  sionary  who  resided  in  the  Palnad  since  the  days 
of  Heyer  and  Groening.  Conditions  were  hard 
and  his  was  a  lonely  life.  Guntur,  the  nearest 
European  station,  was  over  fifty  miles  away, 
and  amid  the  deepest  heathenism  that  must  have 
tried  his  faith,  he  carried  on  his  work,  at  a  time 
when  the  home  Church  was  confronted  by  serious 
financial  difficulties  and  was  too  far  removed 
from  the  scene  of  his  work  to  even  faintly  ap- 
preciate his  heroic  efforts.  This  first  term  of 
service  marked  the  first  rapid  advance  in  the 
work  and  the  beginning  of  the  mass-movement 
among  the  Telugus  toward  Christianity  among 
the  depressed  classes  of  South  India,  in  which 
our  mission  has  so  largely  shared.  During  Harp- 
ster's first  term  of  service  the  baptized  member- 
ship of  the  Church  increased  from  1,543  to 
3,593 ;  or  an  increase  of  more  than  one  hundred 
and  thirty  per  cent,  in  four  years.  In  this  he 
greatly  rejoiced. 

But  his  health,  never  too  robust,  began  to  fail 
him.      His    throat    especially   giving   him   great 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER  155 

trouble.  He  was  compelled,  when  the  work  was 
most  encouraging,  to  ask  for  leave  to  come  home. 
It  was  reluctantly  granted,  because  of  the  needs 
of  the  work  and  the  paucity  of  the  workers. 
On  March  22d,  1876,  he  bade  farewell  with  the 
hope  and  promise  of  a  speedy  return,  and  pro- 
ceeded home  via  China  and  Japan  and  the  Pa- 
cific Ocean. 

But  the  way  seemed  closed  to  him.  His  re- 
turn became  more  and  more  doubtful,  and  fail- 
ing to  realize  his  hopes  for  the  foreign  field,  he 
became  a  home  pastor,  first  as  a  home  missionary 
and  then  in  the  large  and  influential  church  in 
Canton,  Ohio.  Thus  was  he  at  home,  as  well 
as  abroad,  ever  a  missionary. 

He  had  gone  to  India  a  single  man.  On  Au-  Marriage 
gust  1st,  1882,  he  married  the  daughter  of  Dr. 
Jacobs,  Professor  of  mathematics,  for  a  long  time 
in  Pennsylvania  College  at  Gettysburg,  and  sister 
of  Dr.  Jacobs,  Professor  in  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  Mt.  Airy,  Philadelphia.  She  entered 
into  all  his  plans  at  home  and  abroad;  was  his 
tried  counsellor  in  his  foreign  work,  and  remains 
behind  to  mourn  his  great  loss,  but  to  rejoice 
over  the  success  he  won. 

His  one  settled  pastorate  was  that  of  Trinity 
Church,  Canton,  Ohio,  where  he  spent  the  hap- 
piest and  most  successful  years  of  his  ministerial 
life  in  the  homeland. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  General  Synod,  in  his  Determines 
own  church  in  1893,  it  was  intensely  dramatic  ^o  return 
when  he  announced  his  purpose   to   return  to 


156  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

India.  But  it  should  be  remembered  that  he  had 
already,  in  March  of  the  same  year,  offered  him- 
self and  been  appointed  by  the  Board.  However, 
his  determination  was  a  surprise  to  his  friends, 
as  it  was  a  shock  to  his  church  in  Canton.  But 
no  objection  prevented  him  from  going,  as  no 
The  call  claim  appealed  to  him  as  did  India.  He  could 
from  gj-jii   iiQ2Lr  his   native   brethren   call   to   him   as 

Macedonia  i     •     ,      ,  i  ^^tx  t^ 

though  it  had  been  yesterday,  Harpsteru  Dorai- 
garu  (Mr.),  come  back,  come  back."  That  cry 
he  said  he  heard  day  and  night.  It  would  not 
down,  through  all  the  years  of  his  home  pas- 
torates, and  as  soon  as  conditions  permitted  him 
he  was  ready  to  answer  the  call.  On  the  2ist 
of  October,  he  left  the  homeland  accompanied 
by  his  wife,  and  on  December  i6th  he  reached 
Guntur — his  feelings  were  those  of  a  young  man, 
and  his  joy  and  satisfaction  of  being  back  amid 
the  familiar  scenes  of  his  previous  labors  knew 
no  bounds.  To  those  who  met  him  he  showed 
the  keenest  interest  in  the  work  and  was  soon 
deeply  engaged  in  brushing  up  his  Telugu,  al- 
though he  made  a  short  address  on  the  day  he 
arrived,  to  the  Telugu  congregation,  in  the  Telugu 
language,  and  in  mastering  the  details  of  the 
work  which  in  scope  and  development  during  the 
seventeen  and  more  years  of  his  absence,  had 
far  surpassed  his  dreams.  When  he  left,  the 
mission  had  a  baptized  membership  of  3,594,  and 
when  he  returned  he  found  it  grown  to  13,889,  or 
almost  fourfold  increase  in  seventeen  years. 
Soon  the  grip  of  the  old  mission,  with  its  new 


JOHN  HRNRY  HARPSTER  157 

spirit  of  organized  life,  commanded  his  admira-  Second 
tion,  and  he  recognized  the  strength  of  that  great  ^^!^".'  "''^ 

'  °  °  °  mission  new 

advance  in  which  he  soon  became  a  potent  factor 
of  further  advance.  His  hope  was  that  he  might 
return  to  his  former  field — the  Palnad — but  he 
was  not  permitted  to  do  so,  owing  to  its  success- 
ful occupancy  by  Dr.  Albrecht.  But  a  vast  and 
needy  field  was  found  in  the  Guntur  and  Sat- 
tenapalli  taluks,  made  vacant  by  the  withdrawal 
of  his  former  colleague.  Dr.  Unangst,  and  most 
fruitful  and  encouraging  additions  to  the  native 
church  marked  his  second  term  of  service.  He 
baptized  literally  thousands  of  people  in  this  part 
of  our  field.  When,  in  1893,  he  took  charge  of 
the  work,  there  was  a  membership  of  3,861, 
which  during  the  years  of  his  labors  till  their 
close  in  1901,  grew  to  8,194,  or  more  than  doubled 
under  his  earnest  administration.  In  the  mission 
he  found  an  increased  and  enthusiastic  body  of 
missionaries,  constituting  the  American  force, 
and  a  more  intelligent  and  faithful  native  corps 
of  teachers  and  helpers ;  and  the  success  in  every 
part  of  the  work  filled  his  soul  with  joy.  Noth- 
ing satisfied  him  so  fully  as  the  rapid  advance 
that  was  made  among  the  masses  and  into  this 
movement  he  threw  himself  with  an  energy  and 
zeal  which  taxed  his  strength  to  the  utmost.  For 
more  than  eight  years  he  labored,  doing  evangel- 
istic, school  and  a  considerable  amount  of  medi- 
cal work. 

The  closing  days  of  this  period  were  memor- 
able on  account  of  the  great   famine  of   1900, 


158  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

which  rendered  his  work  doubly  hard  and  called 
out  all  his  energies  and  taxed  his  sympathy  to 
the  utmost.  As  a  member  of  the  Committee  to 
distribute  the  Klopsch  Fund  of  Tlie  Christian 
Herald,  he  did  splendid  work;  at  one  time  con- 
ducting a  "famine  kitchen,"  at  which  over  two 
thousand  were  fed  daily.  When  the  worst  was 
over,  with  the  remaining  funds  he  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  our  Mission  Orphanage,  arranging  the 
purchase  of  our  site  of  40  acres,  orphanage  farm, 
and  assuming  the  support  of  about  one  hundred 
orphan  boys  and  girls. 
Second  In  March,  1901,  he  returned  to  America,  was 

furlough  ^|-,g  principal  speaker  at  the  Des  Moines  Con- 
vention on  the  occasion  of  the  Board's  Anni- 
versary. He  was  soon  called  into  a  most  vigor- 
ous campaign  of  deputation  work  among  the 
churches,  and  everywhere  he  went  his  earnest 
and  eloquent  appeal  for  India  turned  the  minds 
of  men  and  women  toward  the  foreign  enter- 
prise as  something  worthy  of  their  highest  en- 
deavor and  deepest  consecration. 
Newrespon-  While  thus  engaged  the  most  serious  work  of 
sibihties  j^jg  |-£g  bggan  to  claim  his  attention.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1901,  the  condition  of  the  General  Council 
Mission  at  Rajahmundry,  India,  called  for  an 
experienced  missionary  to  avert  impending  dis- 
integration. He  was  called  to  this  responsible 
post.  Preliminary  steps  were  taken  between  the 
Foreign  Boards  of  the  General  Synod  and  Gen- 
eral Council.  On  February  17th,  1902,  final 
conclusions  were  reached.    How  the  matter  was 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER  159 

viewed  by  Dr.  Harpster  is  shown  in  a  letter  to  Dr. 
Scholl,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  General 
Synod  Board,  on  December  12th,  1901 :  "I  sup- 
pose you  brethren  .  .  .  following  your  traditions, 
will  finally  leave  the  matter  to  myself.  ...  I 
suppose  this  is  one  of  the  things  a  man  must  de- 
cide for  himself.  But,  in  this  case,  at  least,  it  is 
mighty  hard  to  make  a  decision."  A  day  later  he 
wrote  on  the  same  subject :  "I  had  hoped  the  Board 
would  decide  the  matter  for  me.  I  had  been 
willing  to  believe  that  the  voice  of  the  Board 
would  be  the  voice  of  God  to  me,  as  touching 
this  thing;  but,  I  gather,  it  will  follow  its  tra- 
ditionary policy,  say  decide  for  yourself,  and 
wash  its  hands.  Perhaps  in  the  ultimate  issue 
that  is  all  it  can  do." 

On  April  ist,  1902,  he  began  his  most  difficult 
and  trying  India  work  to  bring  harmony  into  a 
mission  where  for  many  years  circumstances  had 
existed  which  made  its  realization  almost  im- 
possible. But  having  been  led  to  it  by  the  strong- 
est convictions,  he  enters  this  new  door  of  use- 
fulness, and  sets  himself  to  his  task  with  a 
consciousness  that  God  had  called  him. 

On  October  19th,  1902,  he  set  sail  again  for  y],j^^j  ^^^^ 
his  beloved  land  of  adoption,  and  arriving,  De-  of  stmice 
cember  nth,  during  the  meetings  of  the  great 
Decennial  Missionary  Conference  in  ]\Iadras, 
he  took  part  in  its  deliberations.  He,  like  Heyer 
before  him,  visited  his  old  field  at  Guntur  for  a 
few  days,  renewed  old  acquaintances,  and  on 
December  22d,  commenced  what,  without  doubt. 


160  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

was  the  most  strenuous  period  of  his  foreign 
missionary  career.  Into  the  years  of  recon- 
struction it  is  not  necessary  to  enter.  It  is  suf- 
ficient to  say  they  were  most  arduous  years  of 
labor.  But  he  reconstructed  to  a  great  extent 
the  mission,  settled  existing  difficulties,  was  in- 
cessant in  his  labors  as  director  and  missionary, 
and  in  the  words  of  Dr.  Horn,  the  President  of 
the  General  Council  Board,  "insisted  on  a  re- 
organization of  the  mission  on  the  basis  of  self- 
government  and  the  entire  equality  of  the  mis- 
sionaries." In  favor  of  such  a  government,  he 
argued  that  it  was  the  only  one  that  would  com- 
mend itself  to  Americans,  and  gave  the  largest 
promise  of  success. 
Severs  his  After   three   years — the   time    for    which    his 

relation  with  sej-yices  were  asked — had  elapsed,  it  was  evident 

General  .  ^  ^ 

Synod  that  his  work  had  only  fairly  commenced,  and 

after  further  conference  between  the  Home 
Boards,  he  continued  his  connection  with  the 
General  Council  mission  and  severed  his  relations 
with  the  Synod,  urged  to  this  by  the  task 
which  he  saw  he  could  not  accomplish  unless 
he  stood  in  a  closer  ecclesiastical  and  official 
connection  with  those  with  whom  he  labored  and 
whom  he  represented.  But  let  him  give  his 
own  reasons  for  the  step.  In  his  letter  of  resig- 
nation to  the  General  Synod  Board,  dated  Febru- 
ary 9th,  1906,  he  wrote :  "I  do  not  see  any  pros- 
pect of  my  returning  to  our  mission  work  in 
Guntur.  If,  in  the  first  instance,  my  coming  to 
the  Rajahmundry  Mission  had  any  good  reason 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER  161 

for  it,  there  is  more  reason  now  that  I  should 
stay  in  it.  At  all  events,  it  is  clear  to  my  mind 
that  I  am  needed  here  more  than  in  Guntur. 

"A  proper  regard  for  the  mission  with  which 
I  am  at  present  identified,  and,  as  far  as  I  can 
see,  will  be  during  the  remainder  of  my  mission- 
ary career,  as  well  as  a  proper  respect  for  the 
General  Council,  which  has  reposed  so  great  trust 
in  me,  it  seems  to  me,  requires,  if  it  does  not 
demand,  that  I  identify  myself  with  it  organic- 
ally. 

"I,  therefore,  tender  my  resignation  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Guntur  mission. 

"Brethren,  believe  me  when  I  say  that  my 
separation  from  the  mission  in  which  I  have  been 
identified  so  many  years,  from  the  General  Synod 
to  which  I  have  ever  been  loyal,  and  from  the 
Board  at  whose  hands  I  have  never  received  any- 
thing but  courtesy  and  kindness,  is  not  without 
regret  and  personal  pain." 

The  wisdom  of  this  was  evident.  He  found  Home  again 
the  Rajahmundry  Mission  a  divided  force  with 
questions  of  all  kinds  unsettled,  but  he  left  it  on 
April  7th,  1909,  a  harmonious  body  of  workers 
with  a  great  future  before  it,  in  one  of  the  rich- 
est fields  of  South  India.  After  more  than  six 
years,  during  which  the  native  Church  had  more 
than  doubled  its  membership  and  all  the  work 
had  advanced  in  all  directions,  he  sought  once 
more  deserved  rest  in  the  homeland,  and,  leaving 
his  beloved  work  and  returning  via  the  Pacific 
route,  landed  in  San  Francisco,  June  9th,  1909. 
11 


1()2  MISvSIONARY  HEROES 

He  attended  the  meeting  of  the  General  Coun- 
cil at  Minneapolis,  the  same  year,  and  laid  his 
work  before  that  convention  and  received  the 
warm  commendation  of  his  brethren  for  his  noble 
services.  He  helped  to  save  the  day  in  a  time  of 
crisis. 

The  remaining  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in 
advocating  the  cause  of  missions  at  home.  It  was 
while  thus  engaged  that  he  fell  sick  and  hastened 
home  to  his  wife  and  the  ministrations  of  his 
friends.  He  did  not  have  long  to  wait  the  sum- 
mons to  his  eternal  reward.  On  February  ist, 
191 1,  at  Mt.  Airy,  Philadelphia,  his  heroic  spirit 
broke  its  earthly  bonds  and  he  entered  on  his 
deathless  life,  in  his  Father's  home  above. 

His  mortal  remains  rest  in  the  Evergreen 
Cemetery  at  Gettysburg,  near  the  spot  where,  in 
1863,  he  received  those  honorable  marks  of  the 
warrior  which  so  eloquently  spoke  of  his  fear- 
lessness in  the  shock  of  battle  and  which  typify 
so  fittingly  the  character  he  bore — fearless  in 
life's  struggles  and  conflicts.  Such  is  a  sketch 
of  Dr.  Harpster's  life. 
Honored  He  was  honored  by  Wittenberg  College  with 

the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity,  but  no  college 
could  honor  him.  The  noble  work  of  his  life  is 
his  best  claim  to  honor,  and  it  will  endure  when 
all  else  shall  be  forgotten.  He  will  live  in  the 
lives  of  the  men  and  women  who  in  America 
and  in  India  were  made  better  by  his  life.  His 
name  shall  endure,  and  many  a  dusky  son  and 
daughter  of  India  shall  rise  and  call  him  blessed. 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTKR  1G3 

Of   his   character  what   shall   be   said   in   the  Characte 
limited  space  that  remains  ? 

As  a  man  he  was  manly  in  the  fullest  sense. 
As  a  writer,  clear  and  epigrammatic.  As  a 
preacher,  calm,  persuasive,  forceful,  and,  at 
times,  truly  dramatic  and  eloquent.  He  tried 
to  convince,  to  lead  by  the  force  of  his  logic  and 
the  efificacy  of  the  truth;  but  he  could  also  ap- 
peal to  the  feelings,  and,  when  aroused,  his  fiery 
utterances  commanded  marked  attention  and 
stirred  his  hearers  to  intense  feeling  and  prompt 
action.  He  was  broad  in  his  sympathies,  liberal 
in  his  gifts  to  the  needy;  a  good  companion  and 
a  warm-hearted  friend.  His  faith  in  mankind 
was  deep  and  true.  He  believed  in  the  message 
he  was  sent  to  proclaim,  and  was  willing  to  trust 
to  it  rather  than  to  fanatical  representations  of 
religious  fervor.  He  was  first  of  all  a  mission- 
ary. 

He  should  be  allowed  to  tell  his  own  feeling  Letters 
in  regard  to  the  work  in  which  he  spent  so  large 
a  part  of  his  life,  which  as  one  has  said,  "has 
been  an  enviable  lot,  to  do  so  much  and  to  suffer 
so  much  for  one  of  the  noblest  causes  of  the 
Church."  Writing  soon  after  he  arrived  in  India, 
in  1894,  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Board,  he  said : 
"But  as  for  me,  I  am  immensely  contented." 
How  the  India  "hot  winds"  struck  him,  the  fol- 
lowing shows  after  a  residence  of  three  months: 
"We  are  having  hot  winds  just  now ;  96°  at  ten 
o'clock  at  night.  Phew !"  Writing  in  reply  to 
the  report  that  the  work  in  our  India  Mission 


164  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

was  "discouraging  and  unpromising,"  he  appears 
in  splendid  light.  "I  shall  not  be  able  to  write 
elegantly  (on  board  steamer),  but,  God  helping 
me,  I'll  write  truly.  Extenuating  nothing,  con- 
cealing nothing.  Now,  I  say  at  once  that  noth- 
ing can  be  further  from  the  truth  than  this  state- 
ment of  yours,  or  rather,  this  rumor  which  has 
come  to  the  ears  of  the  Board."  Then  he  takes 
up  each  department  of  the  work,  and  in  a  few 
sharp,  clear-cut  sentences,  he  shows  the  con- 
dition of  each  worker's  field.  One  instance  will 
suffice  to  show  his  incisive,  characteristic  style : 
"Take  Dr.  Uhl;  in  all  his  long  years  of  toil  for 
Christ  in  this  heathen  land,  his  work  has  never 
been  so  prosperous  or  so  big  with  results  for 
Christ  and  His  kingdom.  He  would  indignantly 
deny  the  assertion  that  his  work  was  not  pros- 
perous, and  he  would  prove  the  assertion  by  a 
hundred  arguments  and  every  one  of  them  as 
true  as  the  gospel.  He  is  adding  to  the  Church 
as  has  been  done  in  no  previous  year  in  the 
history  of  Christian  work  in  the  Bapatla  and 
Rapalli  taluks.  He  is  training  the  people,  he  is 
organizing  the  Church,  he  is  laying  broad,  deep 
and  permanent  the  foundation  of  Christ's  king- 
dom in  the  field  committed  to  his  charge.  He 
would  hoot  at  such  an  utterly  unfounded  as- 
sertion as  that  his  work  under  him  was  'un- 
promising.' " 

In  regard  to  his  success  after  three  years,  he 
says:  "When  I  left  India  twenty  years  ago 
there  were  about  1,300  bona  fide  Christians  in 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER  165 

this  Guntur  jMission.  Since  my  return,  or  in 
the  last  three  years,  I  have  baptized  over  1,300 
souls;  in  exact  numbers  1,376.  That,  it  seems 
to  me,  does  not  look  so  very  'discouraging  or 
unpromising.'  " 

Later  on,  when  writing  about  the  charge  of 
disharmony  among  the  missionaries,  he  contin- 
ues: "I  say  in  regard  to  social  relations  of  the 
missionaries,  that  with  one  or  two  exceptions, 
the  relations  of  all  with  each  other  are  all  that 
could  be  expected  of  Christian  men  and  women 
anywhere.  The  rumors  referred  to  in  your  let- 
ter are  false  and  misleading  and  ought  not  to 
be  believed." 

He  was  ever  jealous  of  the  mission  and  the 
missionaries.  After  he  left  the  old  mission,  he 
wrote  what  he  deeply  felt,  concerning  them  and 
it :  "I  am  free  to  confess  that  I  miss  my  old 
yoke-fellows  at  Guntur.  Then,  I  knew  my 
teachers  there — the  stuff  they  were  made  of, 
what  they  could  do  and  what  they  couldn't  do; 
what  they  likely  would,  and  what  they  likely 
wouldn't  do.  Thus  I  could  arrange  for  and 
administer  my  work  as  I  cannot  do  here.  I  often 
wish  I  was  back  in  my  old  field.  But  I  never 
did  have  things  as  I  wanted  them  and  have  given 
up  all  hope  that  I  ever  will  have.  I  see  the  mis- 
sionaries from  Guntur  frequently.  The  work  is 
going  forward  grandly  over  there.  It  is  a  great 
mission.  The  missionaries  stick.  They  are  stay- 
ers. It  is  that  that  tells.  The  motto  of  the  Gun- 
tur missionaries  is,  at  least  practically  is: 


166 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


His  policy 
toward 
native 
workers 


"Stick  to  your  aim;  the  mongrel's  hold  may  slip; 
But  crowbars  can't  unloose  the  bulldog's  grip." 

Even  when  he  differed,  as  he  often  did,  he  was 
frank  and  open.  Take  his  relation  to  his  fellows 
in  the  question  of  ordination  of  native  workers, 
on  which  they  held  variant  views :  "But  we  must 
not  quarrel  about  this.  We  must  discuss  the 
matter  and  settle  it  by  fair  reason.  But  it  must 
be  settled ;  and  settled  by  ordaining  a  number  of 
our  tried  and  trusted  native  brethren.  If  it  is 
not  done,  we  will  get  so  far  behind  the  other 
missions  in  India  that  we  will  never  catch  up 
again." 

He  was  inclined  in  judgment  to  give  his  native 
brethren  a  much  larger  part  in  the  work  than 
.some  of  the  other  experienced  men  were  willing 
to  concede.  This  was  due  to  his  great  love  for 
his  native  brethren.  He  loved  and  trusted  as  he 
loved  them.  He  was  sure  they  would  make  good 
if  responsibility  was  placed  on  them.  Though 
often  disappointed  he  never  lost  his  confidence, 
though  at  the  time  of  their  misdeeds  he  would 
break  out  against  them  in  fierce  denunciation,  but 
when  the  storm  was  past,  he  would  continue  to 
believe  in  them.  Just  as  he  held  the  most  hope- 
ful views  in  the  mass-movement  among  the  de- 
pressed classes  of  India  and  expected  certainly 
that  God  was  leading  them  on  to  take  the  land 
finally  for  Christ,  so  he  was  ever  confident  that 
among  them  leaders  would  be  found  who  were 
worthy  now  to  lead  the  host  in  its  struggle  with 
caste  and  the  thousand  year  bondage  in  which 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER  167 

India  is  held.  He  delighted  to  work  among 
them,  though  many  of  their  social  habits  were 
repulsive  to  him.  His  views  find  much  currency 
among  other  missionaries,  and  it  may  be  that  in 
the  years  to  come  a  Moses  shall  arise  from  these 
depressed  classes,  who  shall  lead  the  native 
Church  to  victory  among  every  class  in  the  land. 

Of  his  Christian  spirit  and  devotion  to  his  Christian 
work  it  is  a  great  pleasure  to  write.  His  soldier-  *P'"* 
life  in  the  great  Civil  War  made  him  military 
not  only  in  his  bearing,  but  also  in  his  character. 
Many  a  time  was  he  seen  under  a  hot  India  sun, 
worn  out  and  fagged,  but  the  moment  the  ap- 
peal of  the  great  cause  and  the  struggle  of  the 
conflict  acted  on  him,  he  responded  as  if  the 
sound  of  drum  and  fife  called,  with  erect  head 
and  firm  tread,  with  his  old  fire  burning  in  his 
eyes.  His  life  was  marked  by  singular  devotion 
from  start  to  finish.  Of  simple  faith,  of  com- 
plete self-surrender  to  a  great  cause,  it  were  hard 
to  find  his  like.  He  caught  his  Master's  spirit. 
His  was  really  the  spirit  of  the  great  apostle, 
revealing  his  mind  and  exemplifying  "this  one 
thing  I  do."  This  is  the  real  touchstone  of  his 
character,  and  explains,  next  to  his  love  of  his 
native  brethren,  his  success.  He  lost  nothing  in 
devotion  as  he  grew  older.  The  force  of  mis- 
sionary zeal  and  enterprise  only  burned  the  more 
brightly  as  he  learned  more  about  the  nature  of 
the  struggle  and  more  clearly  apprehended  the 
task  to  be  done  and  its  difficulties.  Sublime  and 
inspiring  was   his   self-forgetfulness,   in   his   at- 


168  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

tempted  realization  of  his  Master's  mission  for 
him.  His  voice  only  was  heard  amid  all  others, 
and  he  ever  responded  to  His  command,  to  realize 
which  was  the  fulfillment  "of  the  highest  func- 
tion of  a  consecrated  soul."  As  another  said  of 
him:  "He  thought  missions,  he  spoke  missions, 
he  dreamed  missions — missions  for  the  world, 
but  missions  especially  for  India ;  missions  espe- 
cially among  the  Telugus;  missions  among  the 
Telugus,  particularly  among  these  people  to 
whom  he  was  called." 
Other  In  his  relation  to  missionaries  of  his  own  and 

relations  those  of  Other  societies,  Dr.  Harpster  shows 
one  of  the  best  sides  of  his  character.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Comity  and  Co- 
operation for  All  India,  and  his  broad  catholic 
spirit  was  always  seen  on  every  occasion  when 
tlie  common  work  was  being  discussed,  and  the 
necessity  of  harmony  and  co-operation  among 
the  missions  was  emphasized.  Points  of  differ- 
ence, which  seemed  large  in  the  home  Church, 
were  deemed  small  by  him  before  the  heathen  and 
Mohammedan  world.  Differences  among  Luther- 
ans did  not  appeal  to  him,  and  he  stood  for  a 
Joint  Theological  School  for  those  five  Lutheran 
missions  working  in  the  Telugu  area.  His  views 
on  all  missionary  questions  were  broad  and 
statesmanlike,  and  at  general  conferences  of 
missionaries  he  was  a  forceful  advocate  and  a 
commanding  speaker — effective,  direct,  appealing 
to  intellect  and  will,  he  carried  conviction.  Ear- 
nest  and   inspiring  he   moved   the    feelings   and 


JOHN  HENRY  HARPSTER  169 

compelled  to  action.  The  sketch  of  his  life  can 
be  closed  in  no  more  fitting  way  than  in  the 
words  of  an  editorial  on  his  life  in  The  Lutheran  "The 
of  February  9th,  191 1:  "Dr.  Harpster  proved  Lutheran' 
himself  to  be  a  man  of  warmth  and  tenderness, 
when  once  his  acquaintance  was  fully  made.  He 
was  genial  and  affable,  and  with  a  ready  memory 
and  a  remarkable  fund  of  information  at  his  com- 
mand, he  proved  a  most  agreeable  companion, 
as  many  will  testify.  He  was  a  man  of  wide 
reading  and  a  master  of  chaste,  vigorous  English, 
as  the  selection  of  his  words  and  the  mold  of 
his  sentences  abundantly  proved.  There  was 
something  heroic  and  soldier-like  in  his  spirit  and 
manner.  He  had  fought  in  nearly  every  battle 
in  which  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  engaged, 
and  bore  on  his  body  the  marks  of  a  valiant 
soldier,  carrying  wounds  with  him  which  may 
in  a  measure  have  been  responsible  for  his  sud- 
den and  unexpected  death.  No  less  was  he  a 
true  soldier  of  the  Cross,  and  as  such  bore  the 
marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus  as  well  as  those  which 
he  carried  with  him  on  his  body  out  of  the  Civil 
War. 

"Dr.  Harpster  was  every  inch  a  missionary. 
He  looked  upon  the  heathen  world — and  with 
especial  tenderness  and  longing  upon  those  in 
India  among  whom  his  lot  was  cast — as  a  part 
of  God's  promised  but  unrealized  heritage;  and 
if  he  had  had  a  thousand  lives,  they  would  all 
have  been  spent  to  hasten  the  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecy  concerning  the  Gentiles.     To  him  the 


170  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

salvation  of  the  heathen  had  become  an  intense 
passion  and  all-absorbing  purpose.  'This  one 
thing  I  do'  was  the  grand  motto  of  his  life,  and 
that  one  thing  was  missions.  Those  who  were 
present  in  St.  Mark's  Church,  Philadelphia,  in 
1901,  when  he,  together  with  four  others,  were 
sent  to  India,  will  never  forget  his  heroic,  manly- 
words,  in  which  he  bade  weeping  friends  to 
banish  tears  and  catch  the  spirit  of  joy  he  felt 
on  that  eventful  occasion.  The  friends  this  band 
of  missionaries  left  behind  could  easily  spare 
them;  the  Telugus  in  far-off  India  needed  them. 
With  their  dire  need  rising  up  before  him,  like 
the  soldier  he  was,  he  could  hear  only  the  march- 
ing orders  of  his  Captain.  There  was  something 
sublime  and  inspiring  in  this  forgetfulness  of 
self  and  this  realization  of  his  mission." 


ADAM  D.  ROWE 


ADAM    D.   ROWE 


ADAM  D.  ROWE 

"The  Children's  Missionary" 

by  prof.  jacob  a.  clutz,  d.d. 

Probably  no  other  missionary  was  ever  so 
widely  known,  or  so  greatly  beloved  in  the 
churches  of  the  General  Synod  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Church  in  the  United  States  as 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Adam  D.  Rowe,  called 
everywhere  among  us  "the  Children's  Mission- 
ary." 

He  was  born  and  grew  to  manhood  in  Sugar  Birthplace 

Valley  in  Clinton  County,  Pa.    His  parents  were  ^"^  ^^!^y 
•'  •'  education 

John  and  Anna  Mary  Rowe,  nee  Moyer.    He  was 

the  third  in  a  family  of  twelve  children,  but  as 
his  older  brother  and  sister  died  when  small,  he 
was  practically  the  eldest  brother  among  the  four 
brothers  and  six  sisters  who  lived  to  manhood 
and  womanhood. 

While  not  unusually  precocious,  he  was  evi- 
dently a  bright  and  promising  child  and  youth. 
In  a  letter  written  soon  after  the  death  of  Rowe, 
his  father  says  this  of  him:  "A.  D.  was  a 
very  bright  and  active  child  when  quite  young. 
The  public  school  being  somewhat  unhandy,  I 
commenced  to  teach  him  at  home  when  he  was 
between  four  and  five  years  old.  When  he  was 
173 


174  MISSIONARY  HEROKS 

seven  years  old  he  commenced  going  to  school. 
At  that  time  he  knew  the  spelling  book  by  heart. 
Out  of  this  he  went  into  the  fourth  reader.  He 
always  took  a  great  delight  in  studying  his  books. 
On  Sundays,  when  other  boys  would  come  and 
ask  him  to  walk  with  them,  he  would  lock  him- 
self in  his  room  and  study  his  lesson.  When  he 
was  nine  years  old  he  recited  three  thousand 
verses  of  Scripture  and  hymns  in  Sunday  school 
in  three  months.  When  he  was  twelve  years  old 
I  took  him  along  with  me  to  work  at  the  car- 
penter's trade.  He  always  took  his  books  with 
"  him  to  work,  and  whenever  he  had  a  little  spare 
time  would  be  studying." 
Teacher  When  Mr.  Rowe  was  sixteen  years  of  age  he 

applied  to  the  superintendent  of  schools  in  his 
native  county  for  examination  as  a  teacher.  He 
received  a  certificate,  and  during  the  winter  of 
1865-66  he  taught  a  country  school  in  Nippenose 
Valley.  For  five  years  he  taught  in  the  winter, 
and  during  the  summer  he  attended  various  nor- 
mal schools,  finally  graduating  in  the  scientific 
course  from  the  normal  school  at  Millersville, 
Pa.,  in  July,  1870. 
County  Though  Still  Under  twenty-two  years  of  age, 

Supenn-  having  been  born  September  9th,  1848,  Mr. 
Rowe  was  at  this  time  appointed  by  the  State 
Superintendent  of  Public  Schools  to  fill  a  vacancy 
in  the  county  superintendency  of  Clinton,  his 
native  county. 

About  this  same  time  in  his  career  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  study  of  Law.    In  the  fall  of 


ADAM  D.   ROWE  175 

1870  he  entered  himself  as  a  private  student  in 
the  law  office  of  Charles  Corss,  Esq.,  of  Lock 
Haven,  then  a  prominent  member  of  the  bar 
of  Clinton  County.  He  prosecuted  his  studies 
vigorously  in  connection  with  his  duties  as  the 
County  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools.  It  is 
the  testimony  of  Mr.  Corss  that  he  found  Mr. 
Rowe  "an  apt  student,  and  one  who,  if  he  had 
followed  the  law  as  a  profession,  would  have 
been  successful  in  every  respect." 

But  great  and  useful  as  are  both  these  justly- 
honored  professions,  of  teaching  and  of  the  law, 
God  had  other  work  for  this  promising  young 
man.  Like  Saul  of  Tarsus,  he  was  a  "chosen 
vessel"  unto  the  Lord  to  bear  His  name  "before 
the  Gentiles,"  and  he  was  gradually  being  led  on 
towards  this  work  and  prepared  for  it. 

During  the  winter  of  1865-66,  while  Mr.  Rowe  First 
was  teaching  his  first  school  in  Nippenose  Valley,  '■*"S*°"? 
a  mere  boy  of  seventeen,  he  seems  to  have  re- 
ceived his  first  deep  and  decisive  religious  im- 
pressions. He  had  been  nurtured  in  a  Christian 
home  and  had  always  been  regular  and  faithful 
in  his  attendance  at  church  and  Sunday  school. 
But  the  crisis  of  personal  decision  came  to  him 
in  connection  with  a  series  of  special  services  be- 
ing held  at  that  time  by  the  Rev.  W.  L.  Heisler, 
the  Lutheran  pastor  at  Jersey  Shore,  Pa.,  in  one 
of  his  churches  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  Mr. 
Rowe  was  teaching.  Rev.  Heisler  himself  writes 
of  this  experience:  "During  this  meeting 
Brother    Rowe    became    impressed,    and    was 


176  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

brought  under  powerful  conviction.  He  was  in- 
duced to  seek  the  Lord,  and  in  the  course  of  a 
few  days  he  rejoiced  in  the  sense  of  pardoned 
sin.  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  witnessed  a 
brighter  conversion  than  Brother  Rowe's.  His 
whole  face  beamed  with  joy.  He  at  once  re- 
sponded when  called  upon  to  lead  in  prayer." 

Unites  with         It  was  Mr.  Rowe's  desire  to  unite  with  Rev. 

church  Heisler's  church  at  once.     But,  in  deference  to 

the  wishes  of  his  parents,  who  were  members 
of  another  denomination  and  hoped  to  have  him 
join  with  them,  he  deferred  the  matter  for  a 
year  or  more.  Then,  with  the  full  consent  of  his 
parents,  he  was  confirmed  March  7th,  1867,  in 
the  Lutheran  church  at  Salona,  Pa.,  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Heisler,  who  had  meanwhile  removed  to  Salona 
from  Jersey  Shore. 

Being  deeply  impressed  with  Mr.  Rowe's  rich 
gifts  and  unusual  promise,  his  pastor  at  once 
coveted  him  for  the  ministry,  and  spoke  to  him 
on  the  subject  on  the  same  day  on  which  he  was 
confirmed,  and  frequently  afterwards.  He  met 
with  but  little  encouragement,  however,  from  the 
young  man  at  this  time.  His  heart  was  then 
strongly  set  on  teaching  as  a  profession,  and  still 
later  on  the  law. 

But  from  letters  of  Mr.  Rowe,  written  after 
he  had  entered  the  Seminary  at  Gettysburg,  and 
even  after  he  had  gone  to  India,  it  is  evident  that 
he  had  been  more  impressed  by  these  conversa- 
tions than  was  then  apparent,  and  that  he  really 
had  but  little  peace  of  mind  until  he  actually  did 


ADAM  D.  ROWE  177 

devote  himself  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  min- 
istry. 

On  Christmas  clay,  in  1870,  Christmas  falling  Lock  Haven 
on  a  Sunday  that  year,  Mr.  Rowe  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  church  in  Lock  Haven,  Pa., 
where  he  was  then  residing,  being  transferred  by 
letter  from  the  church  in  Salona  in  which  he 
had  been  confirmed.  Rev,  J.  W.  Goodlin,  after- 
wards for  many  years  the  efficient  General  Sec- 
retary of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions,  was  then 
the  Lutheran  pastor  at  Lock  Haven,  and  it  is 
probably  due  to  the  influence  and  efforts  of  this 
godly  and  faithful  shepherd  of  souls,  more  than 
to  any  other  one  man,  that  the  Lutheran  Church 
is  indebted,  under  God,  for  the  valuable  services 
of  this  noble  and  useful  missionary. 

Immediately  following  his  union  with  the 
church  in  Lock  Haven,  a  series  of  special  serv- 
ices was  begun  by  the  pastor,  Rev.  Goodlin,  in 
which  Mr.  Rowe  became  deeply  interested,  and 
which  seems  really  to  have  been  the  turning  point 
in  his  life  so  far  as  its  main  purpose  was  con- 
cerned. Referring  to  this  Rev.  Goodlin  wrote : 
"One  evening,  after  service,  Mr.  Rowe  spoke  to  The  gospel 
Mrs.  Goodlin  complaining  of  his  indifference  and  °"°'^'''y 
inactivity,  and  said  that  he  had  resolved  to  enter 
upon  a  more  active  Christian  life.  He  seemed 
much  affected.  Mrs.  G.  told  me  of  the  conver- 
sation. I  immediately  seized  upon  the  oppor- 
tunity, believing  that  God's  Spirit  was  calling  him 
to  a  more  noble  office,  and  a  higher  position  than 
the  one  in  which  he  was  then  engaged.  In  a  few 
12 


178  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

months  he  decided  to  enter  the  mmistry  and  made 
his  arrangements  to  go  to  Gettysburg." 
Rev.  Good-  Referring  to  this  same  time  and  experience, 
lin's  opinion  j^^^  -^^^^  himself  afterwards  wrote  to  Rev. 
GoodHn  from  India,  as  follows:  "I  should  not 
wonder  if  the  next  mail  or  so  would  bring  me  a 
good  long  letter  from  you,  such  a  one  as  will 
arouse  all  my  faculties  of  mind  and  heart,  and 
make  me  bless  the  day  which  brought  you  to 
Lock  Haven,  where  it  was  first  my  pleasure  to 
meet  you.  I  do  not  think  I  have  ever  told  you 
what  an  impetus  for  the  better  your  interest  in 
me  gave  to  my  life  then.  I  shall  never  forget 
how  your  kind,  loving  treatment  of  me  warmed 
my  heart  with  love  to  God  and  man.  I  do  not 
think  I  was  a  bad  man,  or  even  inclined  to  forget 
God  altogether,  but  I  was  fast  becoming  entirely 
overwhelmed  with  business  affairs,  was  making 
money  and  had  prospects  of  making  more,  and 
was  daily  becoming  a  poorer  church  member,  if 
nothing  else.  I  think  I  must  have  seemed  cold 
and  indifferent  to  you  when  you  first  saw  me. 
But  you  at  once  took  me  to  your  home,  and  into 
your  confidence,  as  if  we  had  been  friends  for 
many  days.  Your  kindness  had  a  wonderful 
effect  on  me.  It  is  only  now,  when  I  find  years 
have  passed  away,  and  I  have  learned  a  little 
more  of  the  world  and  of  myself,  that  I  begin 
to  appreciate  it  rightly.  Brother  Heisler  also  had 
a  great  influence  for  good  on  me.  Under  him 
I  joined  the  church,  and  as  long  as  I  live  I  shall 
love  him  dearly,  tenderly.     It  is  a  beautiful  and 


ADAM  D.  ROWE  179 

a  blessed  thing  to  lead  the  young  into  purer  and 
better  paths.  God  bless  the  good  men  and  women 
everywhere  who  are  engaged  in  this  noble  work." 

Mr.  Rowe  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  Seminary 
at  Gettysburg  in  the  fall  of  1871.  Here  he  experiences 
showed  the  same  energy  and  vigor  of  character 
which  had  previously  marked  his  life  in  other 
pursuits.  In  addition  to  his  regular  work  as  a 
student,  which  was  always  done  faithfully  and 
conscientiously,  he  assumed  the  editorial  charge 
of  the  "Children's  Department"'  in  Tlw  American 
Lutheran,  a  weekly  church  paper  then  published 
in  York,  Pa.,  by  the  Rev.  P.  Anstadt.  He  soon 
became  a  favorite  writer  with  all  the  children  in 
the  homes  visited  by  this  journal.  He  also  be- 
came the  superintendent  of  the  Infant  Depart- 
ment of  St.  James'  Lutheran  Sunday  School  of 
Gettysburg.  Besides  all  this  he  also  wrote  many 
articles  for  the  church  papers,  especially  after 
he  had  decided  to  become  a  missionary. 

We  come  now  to  that  interesting  period  in  his 
life  when  he  decided  to  give  himself  to  the  work 
in  the  foreign  field.  Just  when  he  began  to  think 
of  this  as  his  life-work  we  do  not  know.  But  it 
must  have  been  quite  early  in  his  seminary 
course.  Dr.  J.  H.  Harpster,  for  many  years  a 
most  useful  and  successful  missionary  in  India, 
first  in  the  General  Synod  Mission  at  Guntur,  and 
later  in  the  Rajahmundry  Mission  of  the  General 
Council,  was  a  student  in  the  Middle  Class  in  the 
Seminary  at  Gettysburg,  when  Mr.  Rowe  en- 
tered the  Junior  Class.     He  whites.     "My  first 


180  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

distinct  recollection  of  Rev.  Rowe  dates  from  one 
night  when  he  came  to  my  room  in  the  seminary, 
soon  after  my  determination  to  go  to  India.  We 
talked  long  and  earnestly  upon  the  subject  of 
Foreign  Missions.  When  we  stood,  late  in  the 
night,  holding  each  other  by  the  hand,  he  said, 
his  eyes  moistened  with  tears,  'God  bless  you, 
I  wish  I  could  go  with  you.'  " 

The  writer  of  this  sketch,  who  was  also  a  stu- 
dent in  the  seminary  at  this  time,  has  a  very 
clear  recollection  of  an  incident  which  occurred 
some  months  later.  It  was  at  one  of  the  Sunday 
morning  "conferences"  in  the  seminary.  The 
question  under  discussion  was,  "Should  I  be- 
come a  foreign  missionary?"  The  students 
spoke  in  turn,  and  several  of  them  had  spoken  at 
some  length  of  the  great  difficulty  they  found  in 
reaching  a  satisfactory  personal  answer  to  this 
question.  When  it  came  Mr.  Rowe's  turn  to 
speak,  he  arose  promptly  in  his  place  and  said 
in  his  own  bright  and  cheery  way,  in  substance: 
"This  question  has  never  given  me  the  least  dif- 
ficulty or  perplexity.  My  pious  old  mother 
taught  me  that  whenever  God  wants  a  man  to  do 
a  particular  work.  He  will  let  him  know  it  in 
His  own  time  and  way.  This  I  believe  with  all 
my  heart.  If  God  wants  me  to  be  a  foreign  mis- 
sionary, I  have  no  doubt  that  He  will  make  it 
plain  to  me,  and  then  I  will  be  ready  to  go.  Un- 
til that  time  comes  I  shall  not  trouble  myself 
about  it." 

It  was  not  very  long  after  this,  apparently, 


ADAM  D.  ROWE  181 

that  the  call  came  to  him,  and  his  response  was  Caii  to 
as  prompt  and  as  cheerful  as  he  had  promised  F^'^^l^" 

t^  ^  ^  Missions 

that  it  should  be.  It  was  while  attending  a  fare- 
well meeting  in  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  December  5th, 
1872,  preparatory  to  the  departure  of  Rev,  L.  L. 
Uhl  and  wife  to  India,  that  he  seems  to  have 
reached  a  clear  conviction  that  his  duty  and  work 
lay  in  the  same  direction.  He  immediately  made 
his  decision  known  to  the  Foreign  Board  and 
offered  his  services.  To  his  surprise  and  great 
disappointment  they  informed  him  that  they 
were  not  able  to  accept  his  offer  at  once  be- 
cause of  an  empty  treasury.  Yet  this  seemed 
only  to  stimulate  his  zeal  and  to  arouse  him  to 
an  effort  to  provide  the  means  for  his  support. 
Finally,  he  said  to  the  Board,  "Give  me  per- 
mission to  go  to  the  Sunday  schools  of  the 
Church  and  appeal  to  the  children,  and  I  will 
raise  the  necessary  funds  myself." 

This    permission    was    granted,    and    imme-  Work  in 
diately  Mr.  Rowe  went  to  work  to  carry  out  Sunday 

1    •  1  TT-         r  •  1      i  ,      •         schools 

his  new  plans.  His  nrst  meeting  was  held  in 
St.  James'  Sunday  School,  Gettysburg,  about  the 
middle  of  January,  1873,  and  resulted  in  an 
offering  of  $72.00,  "with  the  promise  of  more." 
Greatly  encouraged  by  this  auspicious  beginning 
he  prosecuted  the  work  with  great  vigor. 
Nearly  every  Sunday  found  him  out  in  the 
field  visiting  such  schools  as  he  could  reach  with- 
out interfering  too  much  with  his  studies  in  the 
seminary. 

Sunday,  March  9th,  1873,  found  him  in  Balti- 


182  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

more,  Md.,  where  he  addressed  a  great  mass 
meeting  of  the  six  Lutheran  Sunday  schools  of 
the  city,  in  the  old  First  Church,  on  Lexington 
Street,  afterwards  destroyed  by  fire.  His  pre- 
sentation of  the  subject  here  made  a  profound 
impression,  not  only  on  the  hundreds  of  children 
and  young  people  present,  but  also  on  the  older 
people,  and  especially  on  the  pastors.  Rev.  J. 
H.  Barclay,  D.D.,  was  then  the  pastor  of  the 
First  Church.  He  suggested  the  organization 
of  a  society  in  the  Sunday  schools  to  give  more 
permanence  to  the  work,  and  to  provide  not 
only  for  the  sending  of  Mr.  Rowe  to  India,  but 
also  for  his  subsequent  support.  Out  of  this 
Cliiidren's  Suggestion  grew  "The  Children's  Foreign  Mis- 
Missioiiary      sionary   Society,"   with  auxiliary   societies  in   a 

bociety  _, 

large  number  of  our  Sunday  schools,  and  which 
did  much  during  its  continuance  to  spread  in- 
formation and  to  stimulate  more  liberal  giving, 
not  only  among  the  children  and  young  people, 
but  throughout  the  whole  Church.  No  doubt, 
much  of  the  subsequent  development  of  interest 
in  this  great  work  and  liberality  in  its  support  in 
our  churches  has  been  due  to  the  seed  thus 
sown  in  the  minds  of  the  young.  This  society 
supported  Mr.  Rowe  during  the  entire  time  of 
his  service  in  India,  and  also  contributed  largely 
towards  the  support  of  a  second  "Children's 
Missionary." 

At  this  time  Mr.  Rowe  was  expecting  to  go 
to  India  in  the  fall  of  1873.  With  this  in 
view  he  was  married,  June  loth,  to  Miss  Mary 


ADAM  D.  ROWE  183 

E.  Corson,  of  Doylestown,  Bucks  County,  Pa. 
The  General  Synod  met  that  year,  June  nth,  in 
Canton,  Ohio,  and  its  sessions  were  attended 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rowe.  As  his  efforts  at  col- 
lecting funds  had  been  so  eminently  successful, 
and  the  Board's  treasury  was  still  in  great  need 
of  replenishing,  it  was  determined  at  this  meet- 
ing of  the  General  Synod,  or  very  soon  after- 
wards, to  ask  Mr.  Rowe  to  remain  in  this 
country  at  least  another  year,  and  to  continue 
his  work  in  the  Sunday  schools  and  churches. 
Some  even  suggested  that  he  should  be  kept  in 
this  country  permanently  to  stir  up  the  churches 
and  raise  money  for  the  prosecution  of  the  work 
abroad. 

To  the  latter  proposition  Mr.  Rowe  would  not 
listen,  but  he  did  consent,  with  a  good  deal  of 
reluctance,  however,  to  devote  another  year  to 
this  work  before  going  to  India.  He  provided 
himself  with  a  full  outfit  of  maps,  charts  and 
pictures,  illustrating  the  work  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions as  was  then  available,  making  many  of 
them  himself,  so  as  to  address  the  eyes  of  the 
people  as  well  as  their  ears.  All  his  time  from 
this  until  August  ist,  1874,  was  devoted  to  this 
work,  and  with  great  success.  The  next  biennial 
report  of  the  Foreign  Board  gives  these  facts 
concerning  this  year's  work:  public  meetings 
held,  223;  children  addressed,  33,810;  adults 
addressed,  30,940;  money  collected,  $5,831.08; 
members  of  the  Children's  Foreign  Missionary 


184  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

Society,  21,136;   Sunday  schools  having  auxili- 
ary societies,  315. 
Starts  for  On  September  12th,  1874,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rowe 

India  sailed  from  Philadelphia,  with  a  little  daughter 

who  had  been  born  to  them  March  8th.  They 
arrived  at  Guntur,  India,  December  nth.  We 
have  no  record  of  Mr.  Rowe's  own  feelings  on 
thus  at  last  reaching  the  field  and  the  work  to 
which  he  had  devoted  his  life,  but  Dr.  Harpster, 
who  had  preceded  him  to  India  several  years, 
gives  the  following  very  graphic  account  of  his 
arrival:  "Probably  two  years  after  I  went  to 
India,  I  received  a  letter  from  Brother  Rowe,  full 
of  anxious  inquiry  concerning  our  work.  I  re- 
plied. The  return  mail  brought  me  a  character- 
istic letter  from  him  containing  the  laconic  an- 
nouncement, T  am  coming;  look  out  for  me!' 
So  one  day  in  November  I  hitched  up  my  ox-cart, 
and,  mounting  one  horse  and  leading  another, 
went  down  to  meet  him  and  his  brave  wife  at 
the  boat  landing  at  Bezwada.  I  see  him  now, 
as  I  stand  once  more  on  the  pier  watching  the 
approach  of  the  boat  drawn  by  a  dozen  lascars. 
As  he  distinguished  me,  standing  by  a  crowd  of 
natives,  he  rises  to  his  feet,  takes  off  his  hat  and 
swings  it  about  his  head  in  joyful  recognition. 
It  was  a  beautiful  sight;  the  handsome,  fair- 
haired  Saxon  hero  standing  there  in  the  prow 
of  the  boat,  waving  his  hands  to  India,  the  light 
of  health  and  youthful  enthusiasm  in  his  eye, 
and  the  love  of  Christ  in  his  heart',  coming  with 
God's  message  of  salvation  to  the  dusky  men 


ADAM  D.  ROWE  185 

and  women  who  stand  silentl}'  waiting  his  ap- 
proach. It  was  a  picture  for  a  painter.  The 
boat  touches  the  landing;  he  leaps  on  shore; 
seizes  my  hand,  and,  with  a  voice  broken  with 
feeling  and  the  excitement  of  the  occasion,  says, 
'I  am  here  to  help  you.'  " 

Of  Mr.  Rowe's  work  iji  India  it  is  impossible  Early  years 
to  give  any  extended  account  here.  A  very  im-  °  ^""^ 
portant  part  of  this  work  was  the  many  ex- 
pedients which  he  devised  for  arousing  the  in- 
terest of  the  Church  at  home  and  stimulating 
the  people  to  an  increased  and  more  intelligent 
liberality  in  the  support  of  Foreign  Missions. 
He  sent  many  interesting  and  most  informing 
letters  to  the  church  papers ;  with  great  care  and 
labor  he  prepared  many  baskets  of  "India  curi- 
osities," which  were  sent  back  to  America  for 
sale  among  the  friends  of  the  mission ;  he  scat- 
tered thousands  of  photographs  of  India  people 
and  scenes  all  through  the  Church;  he  carried 
on  an  extensive  correspondence  with  the  patrons 
of  the  boarding  schools  and  of  other  special 
forms  of  work,  most  of  whom  had  been  secured 
through  his  own  personal  efforts ;  he  wrote  and 
published  three  very  interesting  and  instructive 
books  giving  such  information  about  India  and 
its  people  and  the  work  of  the  missionaries 
among  them  as  he  had  found  to  be  needed 
among  the  people  at  home.  Two  of  these  books, 
"Talks  About  India"  and  "Talks  About  Mission 
J  Work  in  India,"  were  intended  more  especially 
for  Sunday  school  libraries,  and  were  issued  in 


186  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

1876  and  1878,  respectively,  by  the  Lutheran 
Publication  Society.  Some  time  later  he  issued 
a  larger  work,  "Everyday  Life  in  India," 
through  the  American  Tract  Society.  All  of 
these  books  had  an  extensive  sale. 

But  these  activities  were  only  incidental  to  his 
real  work  as  a  missionary,  the  occupation,  as  it 
were,  of  his  leisure  moments,  if  one  who  was 
always  so  hard  at  work  can  be  said  to  have 
had  any  leisure  moments.  In  connection  with 
his  evangelistic  work  among  the  heathen  he  de- 
vised, and  executed  as  far  as  possible,  many 
and  varied  plans  for  the  upbuilding  and  im- 
provement of  the  native  Church,  for  the  better 
organization  of  the  Christian  congregations  in 
the  villages,  for  the  introduction  of  Sunday 
schools  among  them,  for  the  enlargement  and 
increased  efficiency  of  the  staff  of  native  workers, 
for  the  education  and  development  of  the  natives 
towards  self-support,  and  for  reaching  more 
largely  and  more  effectively  the  higher  castes 
to  which  belong  all  the  educated  and  more 
wealthy  and  influential  classes  of  the  people. 
Dr.  Charles  A.  Stork,  then  President  of  the 
Foreign  Board,  wrote  of  Mr.  Rowe  in  The 
Lutheran  Observer  of  September  29th,  1882: 
"He  had  what  Locke  calls  a  'round-about  com- 
mon sense,'  which  made  him  singularly  happy 
in  his  apprehension  of  what  was  practicable, 
and  quick  to  hit  on  the  best  means  to  effect  his 
purpose.  There  was  something  of  a  statesman- 
like ability  in  his  power  to  catch  the  lay  of  the 


ADAM  D.   ROVvE  187 

land,  to  fix  gn  the  essential  elements  of  any 
problem,  and  adapt  his  plan  to  the  circmnstances 
of  the  case." 

A  very  notable  feature  of  Mr.  Rowe's  work  Famiue  fund 
in  India  at  this  time  was  his  connection  with 
famine  relief  work  during  the  great  famine  of 
1876-78,  when  it  was  estimated  that  from  two 
to  five  millions  of  the  natives  actually  died  from 
the  lack  of  food.  More  than  20,000  rupees 
(about  $10,000.00),  of  the  Mansion  House 
Famine  Relief  Fund  raised  in  England  was  en- 
trusted to  him  for  distribution,  and  he  made 
every  rupee  tell  in  genuine  relief.  It  was  the 
testimony  of  those  who  had  charge  of  the  dis- 
tribution of  these  funds  in  the  Madras  Presi- 
dency that  they  were  nowhere  more  wisely  or 
efficiently  administered  than  in  the  district 
superintended  by  Mr.  Rowe.  Two  of  his  fellow- 
missionaries,  Rev.  Uhl  and  Rev.  Schnure,  in 
a  "Historical  Sketch"  published  in  The  Lutheran 
Observer  after  his  death,  say  of  this  work:  "He 
developed  one  plan  after  another,  and  for  two 
years  blended  together  gospel  work  and  famine 
relief  work,  mission  and  ministry,  in  his  cus- 
tomary energetic  style.  He  received  pleasing 
commendation  of  his  plans  and  efforts  from 
Mr.  Digby,  of  ]\Iadras,  and  the  superintendent 
of  the  distribution  of  England's  gifts  to  the 
Madras  Presidency." 

One  of  the  best  results  of  this  famine  relief  Inquirers 
work,  and  the  one  which  Mr.  Rowe  had  always 
kept  prominently  in  view  in  the  conduct  of  it, 


188  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

was  the  large  increase  of  "inquirers"  and  the 
many  additions  to  the  mission  in  1879  and  1880. 
It  gave  the  missionaries  access  to  thousands  of 
people  who  would  not  otherwise  have  listened 
to  their  message  of  salvation.  It  opened  their 
eyes  as  never  before,  to  the  vast  superiority  of  the 
Christian  religion  over  their  own.  The  dullest 
of  them  could  not  fail  to  see  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  utter  selfishness  and  indifference  to 
their  fate  shown  by  the  worshipers  of  Brahma 
and  Vishnu,  and  the  sympathy  and  generous 
relief  given  to  them  in  their  distress  by  Chris- 
tian England  and  by  the  Christian  missionaries. 
It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  multitudes 
of  them  wished  to  know  more  of  Christianity. 
or  that  many  of  them  renounced  their  old  faith 
and  were  baptized  in  the  name  of  Christ,  That 
some  of  these  should  be  actuated  by  selfish 
motives  was  to  be  expected,  and  that  many  of 
these  should  afterwards  become  backsliders  was 
also  but  natural.  Human  nature  is  not  so  very 
different,  after  all,  in  India  from  what  it  is  in 
America,  or  in  any  other  Christian  country.  But 
the  majority  of  the  converts  added  to  the  mis- 
sion at  this  time,  largely  as  the  direct  or  indirect 
result  of  the  famine  relief  work,  remained  faith- 
ful, and  they  now  form  a  very  considerable  and 
substantial  element  in  the  native  Christian 
Church. 
Furlough  In  the  spring  of   1880  Mr.  Rowe  asked  and 

home  received  from  the  Foreign  Board  permission  to 

return  to   America,   partly   to   recruit  his  own 


ADAM  D.  ROWE  189 

health,  on  which  the  cHmate  of  India  and  his 
arduous  labors,  especially  during  the  famine,  had 
begun  to  tell,  but  more  especially  for  the  bene- 
fit of  his  wife,  who  was  in  ill  health.  They  left 
India  April  i6th  and  landed  in  Philadelphia 
June  13th,  1880.  After  a  few  weeks  of  rest 
Mr.  Rowe  located  his  family  in  York,  Pa.,  and 
announced  to  the  Board  that  he  was  ready  for 
work.  He  then  began,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Board,  a  very  remarkable  series  of  visits 
to  the  Synods,  churches  and  Sunday  schools, 
which  resulted  in  a  great  quickening  of  interest 
wherever  he  went.  And  he  seemed  to  go  every- 
where. It  seemed  almost  incredible  that  one 
man  could  accomplish  so  much  in  so  short  a 
time.  He  was  at  the  work  only  a  little  more  Year's  work 
than  a  year,  and  yet  the  States  of  Pennsylvania, 
Maryland,  Virginia,  West  Virginia,  New  York, 
Ohio,  and  parts  of  Indiana  and  Illinois,  were 
visited  in  turn,  and  the  Synods  and  Conferences 
quite  thoroughly  canvassed.  As  many  as  twenty 
and  thirty  meetings  were  held  each  month,  and 
often  as  high  as  eight  and  ten  in  a  single  week. 
Besides  this,  he  constantly  kept  up  a  large  cor- 
respondence, amounting  often  to  ten  and  twenty 
letters  a  day,  with  those  who  were  interested  in 
special  features  of  mission  work,  or  who  desired 
information,  or  whom  he  was  trying  to  interest 
in  order  that  they  might  give  more  liberally. 
On  his  return  to  his  home  in  York,  after  a  few 
days'  absence,  he  often  found  as  many  as  a  hun- 
dred  letters   and   cards   on   his   table   requiring 


190  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

answer,  in  addition  to  those  he  had  received 
and  answered  while  absent.  The  strain  of  all 
this  began  to  tell  on  him  seriously,  and  it  was 
his  own  opinion  that  he  could  not  possibly  have 
kept  up  the  work  at  the  same  rate  for  another 
year.  It  is  but  just  to  the  Foreign  Board  to  say 
that  they  protested  again  and  again  against  the 
excessive  strain  to  which  he  was  subjecting  him- 
self, and  urged  him  to  work  more  moderately. 
Burning  zeal  But  he  Seemed  to  be  filled  with  a  burning  zeal 
for  the  cause  wdiich  drove  him  on  irresistibly, 
and  which  consumed  him  more  rapidly  in  rest 
than  in  action.  Finally,  when  his  early  return 
to  India  was  determined  upon,  the  Board  in- 
sisted that  he  should  rest  absolutely  from  the 
middle  of  July  until  the  time  of  his  departure. 

When  Mr.  Rowe  had  come  back  to  the  United 
States  it  had  been  his  intention  to  remain  in 
America  for  at  least  two  years.  But  the  call  of 
India  was  too  strong  for  him.  When  the  tidings 
came  of  the  large  accessions  to  the  mission  in 
1880  and  1881,  and  of  the  imperative  need  of 
more  missionaries  properly  to  care  for  these 
new  converts,  and  to  instruct  the  hundreds  of 
inquirers  who  were  still  presenting  themselves, 
he  regarded  it  as  a  providential  call  for  his  im- 
mediate return.  If  a  new  missionary  had  been 
sent,  with  the  language  yet  to  learn,  it  would  have 
required  nearly  two  years  before  he  could  have 
been  of  much  assistance  to  those  on  the  field. 
So  Mr.  Rowe  said  again,  "Here  am  I,  send  me." 
And  it  seemed  best,  almost  necessary,  indeed, 


ADAM  D.  ROWE  191 

that  he  should  go.  Accordingly  he  and  his  fam- 
ily sailed  from  New  York,  Saturday,  September 
24th,  1881,  a  farewell  meeting  having  been  held 
previously  in  Lancaster,  Pa.,  where  the  East 
Pennsylvania  Synod  was  then  in  session. 

From  London  they  passed  over  to  the  con-  Retnm  to 
tinent  and  went  to  Trieste  by  rail,  thus  saving  ^'^'^"^ 
considerable  time  and  much  fatigue.  They  ar- 
rived in  Guntur  November  23d,  1881.  Mr.  Rowe 
found  plenty  of  work  awaiting  him,  and  soon  he 
was  in  the  full  swing  of  it  and  as  busy  as  ever. 
Before  leaving  America  he  had  been  authorized 
by  the  Foreign  Board  and  the  Women's  Mission- 
ary Society  to  erect  two  new  houses  or 
bungalows,  one  for  his  own  residence  and  the 
other  for  the  use  of  the  female  missionaries  of 
the  Woman's  Society.  He  had  purchased  much 
of  the  material  for  these  new  houses,  such  as 
windows  and  doors,  and  had  shipped  them  to 
India  in  advance.  He  very  soon  had  both  of 
them  under  way,  and  pushed  them  forward  with 
unusual  rapidity  for  India.  By  the  last  of  June, 
1882,  the  one  intended  for  his  own  family  was 
finished  and  he  was  able  to  move  them  into  it, 
to  his  very  great  delight.  In  a  letter  written 
July  1st,  the  next  to  the  last  one  he  ever  sent  to 
the  Foreign  Board,  he  wrote :  "We  have  moved 
into  our  new  house  and  are  very  comfortable." 
Only  a  week  or  two  before  his  final  illness  he 
told  his  wife  that  for  the  first  time  in  his  life 
he  was  fixed  just  as  he  wished  to  be.  The  house 
for  the  women  missionaries  was  finished  a  few 


192  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

weeks  later.  The  same  day  on  which  he  took 
his  bed  with  the  fatal  typhoid,  he  came  from  the 
new  "women's  house,"  as  he  was  wont  to  call 
it,  and  said  to  his  wife,  "The  last  thing  is  done, 
and  now  I  can  rest."  Did  he  realize  how,  and 
how  long  he  was  to  "rest"? 

Although  the  building  of  these  houses  must 
have  taken  much  of  his  time,  and  no  small 
amount  of  care  and  labor,  he  did  not  in  the  least 
neglect  his  other  work.  Before  he  was  taken 
sick  he  had  visited  the  whole  of  his  district  in 
the  mission  field,  and  he  was  delightedly  planning 
to  accompany  Rev.  Schnure,  a  new  missionary, 
on  his  first  tour  through  the  section  which  had 
been  assigned  to  him.  He  was  also  busily  en- 
gaged in  writing  the  annual  letters  to  the  patrons 
of  the  Boarding  School,  and  of  the  temporary 
Training  School,  and  in  taking  photographs  of 
their  proteges  to  send  with  the  letters.  In  the 
midst  of  these  multitudinous  labors  he  was 
stricken  down  with  typhoid  fever,  the  result,  no 
doubt,  of  over-work  and  nervous  prostration, 
and  of  germs  taken  into  his  system  while  visit- 
ing in  the  district. 
Illness  and  The  story  of  his  last  illness  and  death  may  be 
death  briefly  told.     It  is  a  story  similar  to  that  which 

has  become  all  too  familiar  to  us  in  these  days, 
and  especially  in  this  country,  when  and  where 
everything  is  done  with  the  rush  of  an  express 
train,  as  if  men  were  locomotives,  made  of  iron 
and  steel  and  brass,  and  were  warranted,  as  no 
locomotive  is,  never  to  wear  out  or  break.     For 


PASTOR   PARAVALU   ABRAHAM 


ADAM  D.  ROWE  193 

some  time  he  had  been  complaining  more  or  less 
of  ''feeling  so  tired  all  the  time."  He  was  un- 
able to  sleep  at  night,  or  was  roused  from  fitful 
slumbers  by  the  twitching  of  his  nerves.  Finally, 
when  he  could  go  on  no  longer,  he  called  in  a 
physician  and  took  his  bed  on  Saturday,  August 
1 2th.  For  thirty-six  days  the  fever  burned  on 
with  little  or  no  abatement,  while  the  patient 
gradually  sank  under  its  wasting  power,  until 
death  and  "rest"  came  together  on  Saturday, 
September  i6th,  1882.  During  the  greater  part 
of  his  sickness  he  was  delirious.  But  even  in. 
his  delirium  his  beloved  work  was  still  on  his 
mind  and  in  his  heart,  and  he  could  frequently 
be  heard  exhorting  the  native  Christians  to  love 
the  Saviour,  and  to  abide  faithful.  On  Sunday, 
September  17th,  his  wasted  body  was  laid  away 
in  the  cemetery  at  Guntur,  where  lie  the  remains 
of  a  number  of  other  faithful  missionaries  who 
have  sealed  with  their  lives  their  devotion  to 
the  great  work  of  evangelizing  the  heathen, 
there  to  await  the  resurrection  of  the  just. 

On  Sunday  evening,  the  same  day  of  the  burial.  News  of 
this  message  was  received  at  the  office  of  the  ^^^^^  ^^ 
Foreign  Board  in  Baltimore :  "Rowe  dead.  Ty- 
phoid." It  was  cabled  from  Guntur  on  the 
previous  day,  immediately  after  the  sad  event. 
Within  a  few  days  it  was  generally  known 
throughout  the  Church,  and  never  has  there  been 
deeper  or  more  general  sorrow  in  the  Church 
over  the  loss  of  a  master  workman,  and  a  loved 
and  trusted  leader.  A  score  of  pages  might  be 
13 


194  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

filled  with  the  many  tributes  of  affection  and 
high  esteem  which  were  paid  to  his  memory. 
One  incident  was  at  once  so  impressive  and  so 
illustrative  of  the  feeling  throughout  the  Church, 
that  it  deserves  to  be  given  here.  It  was  the 
effect  produced  by  the  announcement  of  Mr. 
Rowe's  death  on  the  floor  of  the  West  Pennsyl- 
vania Synod,  then  in  session  in  St.  Paul's 
Church,  Littlestown,  Pa.  This  was  the  Synod 
by  which  Mr.  Rowe  had  been  licensed  and  or- 
dained, and  in  which  he  still  held  his  member- 
ship. The  scene  is  thus  described  by  Rev.  Luther 
A.  Gotwald,  D.D.,  then  a  pastor  of  St.  Paul's 
Church,  York,  and  who  was  called  on  to  lead 
the  Synod  in  prayer  immediately  afterwards : 
"No  one  who  was  present  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Synod  of  West  Pennsylvania,  where  on  Monday, 
September  i8th,  the  announcement  of  the  death 
of  Brother  Rowe  was  made  to  us,  can  ever 
possibly  forget  the  sad  hour  or  occasion.  The 
Synod,  refreshed  both  physically  and  spiritually 
by  the  joyous  rest  of  the  Lord's  Day,  was  cheer- 
fully and  gladly  prosecuting  its  work.  The  Presi- 
dent of  the  Synod,  Rev.  A.  Stewart  Hartman, 
was  in  the  chair,  A  telegram  was  handed  him. 
Sitting  near  and  immediately  in  front  of  him, 
with  my  eye  at  the  time  fixed  upon  him,  I  noticed 
that  his  face  at  once  became  ashy  pale,  and 
assumed  a  dazed  and  bewildered  look.  I  dis- 
tinctly recall  it  now.  In  a  moment,  however, 
realizing  the  sad  truth,  and  waiving  all  parlia- 
mentary formalities,  he  asked  the  Synod's  atten- 


ADAM  D.  ROWE  195 

tion,  and  with  a  voice  husky  with  emotion,  read 
to  us  the  brief  but  depressing  message,  'Rowe 
of  India  is  dead.'  For  a  moment  or  two  there 
was  silence  still  as  death,  as  though  every 
tongue  had  been  suddenly  paralyzed,  and  every 
heart  under  the  weight  of  grief  which  had  thus 
come  upon  it  had  ceased  to  beat.  Then  in  every 
part  of  the  church  sobs  and  broken  ejaculations 
and  suppressed  prayers  rose  upon  the  stillness. 
The  place  was  a  Bochim.  Every  heart  seemed 
broken.  Every  eye  was  blind  with  tears.  God, 
we  felt,  had  touched  us  sorely.  But  the  throne 
of  grace  is  ever,  in  times  of  trouble,  the  resort 
of  God's  children.  As  a  Synod,  therefore,  we 
all,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  President,  bowed  in 
prayer." 

The  death  of  this  fine  young  man  seemed  then,  Brief  life 
and  it  might  still  seem  almost  like  an  uncalled- 
for  sacrifice.  It  might  seem  as  if  he  ought  to 
have  spared  himself  more  in  the  work,  and  that 
then  he  might  have  been  longer  spared  to  the 
work,  and  that  this  would  have  been  better.  But 
we  do  not  know.  He  did  a  great,  grand  work 
in  his  brief  life  of  just  a  few  days  beyond 
thirty-four  years.  His  work  still  abides  both  in 
the  Church  at  home  and  in  the  Church  in  India. 
Through  all  the  years  it  has  been  a  joyous  in- 
spiration to  all  who  labored  with  him,  whether 
here  or  there,  and  it  will  be  a  bright  example  to 
all  who  shall  follow  him.  It  was  a  work  that 
might  have  fully  occupied,  and  would  have 
worthily  crowned  a  long  life.     Certainly  this  is 


196  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

better,  a  thousand  times  better,  than  an  easy,  list- 
less, useless  life,  such  as  is  led  by  many  men. 
Who  that  has  any  worthy  conception  of  life  and 
its  responsibilities  would  not  rather  be  the  lordly 
battleship  that  goes  down  in  the  midst  of  the 
fight,  riddled  with  shot  and  shell,  after  but  a 
few  years  of  active  service,  than  to  be  the  lazy, 
dismantled  hulk  that  lies  unused,  rocking  and 
rotting  in  some  quiet  harbor,  even  though  the 
latter  may  remain  afloat  ten  times  as  long  as  the 
former  ? 

"We  live  in  deeds,  not  years;  in  thoughts  not  breaths; 
In  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  a  dial ; 
We  should  count  time  by  heart-throbs.    He  most  lives 
Who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best." 


DAVID  A.  DAY 


DAVID  A.   DAY 


DAVID  A.  DAY 

BY    GEORGE    SCHOLL,    D.D. 
Secretary  Emeritus  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 

A  close  observer  and  profound  student  of  hu- 
man nature  has  defined  a  hero  as  ''one  who  can 
defy  the  demands  of  a  Hfe  so  full  that  it  almost 
smothers  him,  and  can  insist  upon  the  definite 
line  along  which  his  life  shall  be  lived."  Goethe 
says:  "Believe  me,  most  part  of  all  the  misery 
and  mischief,  of  all  that  is  denominated  evil  in 
the  world,  arises  from  the  fact  that  men  are  too 
remiss  to  get  a  proper  knowledge  of  their  aims, 
and  when  they  do  know  them,  to  work  intensely 
in  attaining  them." 

In  other  words,  the  man  who,  taking  a  broad 
and  comprehensive  view  of  life,  including  time 
and  eternity,  decides  what,  for  him,  is  the  su- 
preme end  of  being,  and  then  presses  toward  the 
attainment  of  that  end  with  an  unfaltering  pur- 
pose that  counts  all  else  secondary  and  compara- 
tively unimportant,  has  unconsciously  enrolled 
himself  as  one  of  the  world's  heroes. 

This,  from  my  intimate  personal  knowledge  of 
the  man,  I  unhesitatingly  assert,  accurately  de- 
scribes David  A.  Day. 

Two  instances  may  be  cited  in  proof  of  this  Always  a 
assertion,  although  his  whole  career  as  a  mission-  missionary 
ary  bears  testimony  to  this  fact.     There  was  a 
199 


200  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

time  when,  by  some  persons  in  the  home  Church, 
he  was  seriously  considered  for  the  position  of 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  No 
one,  it  was  thought,  was  so  well  qualified  as  he 
to  arouse  a  lethargic  Church  to  an  adequate  sense 
of  the  importance  and  magnitude  of  the!  work. 
When  this  came  to  the  knowledge  of  Day  it  did 
not  take  him  a  week  or  a  day  or  even  an  hour  to 
consider  and  decide  the  question,  but  instantly, 
with  a  look  that  was  even  more  expressive  than 
his  words,  he  said  to  me,  "I  am  a  missionary." 
Years  before  he  had  chosen  his  calling.  His  goal 
was  set,  and  nothing  could  swerve  him  from  his 
course  by  so  much  as  an  inch.  Personal  com- 
fort, family  relations,  health,  life  itself, — these  he 
did  not  take  into  consideration.  The  proposition 
had  no  temptation  for  him.  With  another  mis- 
sionary hero  of  old  he,  too,  could  say,  with  equal 
depth  of  conviction  and  unwavering  purpose, 
"This  one  thing  I  do." 
Washington  The  Other  incident  transpired  in  Washington. 
It  so  occurred  that  a  prominent  official,  connected 
with  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau,  heard 
him  speak  at  a  Sunday  evening  service.  In  the 
course  of  his  address  Dr.  Day,  in  a  few  graphic 
sentences,  flashed  out  a  brilliant  description  of  an 
equatorial  electrical  storm  such  as  occasionally 
sweeps  over  that  section  of  Africa.  Next  morn- 
ing that  official  called  at  our  stopping  place  and 
sought  an  interview  with  the  speaker  of  the 
previous  evening.  Before  meeting  Day  he  said  to 
me,  "That  man,  I  judge,  knows  more  about  the 


incident 


missionary 


DAVID  A.  DAY  201 

meteoric  phenomena  of  the  west  coast  of  Africa 
than  any  man  in  this  or  any  other  country."  After 
more  than  an  hour's  conference,  at  which  our 
host,  Dr.  Parson  and  the  writer  were  present, 
we  all  discovered,  to  our  surprise,  that  the  mis- 
sionary's knowledge  of  the  phenomena  referred 
to  was  not  simply  of  a  general  and  superficial 
character,  but,  in  a  large  degree,  thoroughly  scien- 
tific. It  appeared  that  he  had  carefully  studied 
the  whole  subject  as  a  recreation  from  his  more 
serious  engagements. 

The  conference  resulted  in  the  official  asking  "My  work  is 
Dr.  Day  to  undertake  the  work  of  observing, 
with  the  aid  of  such  appliances  as  the  Depart- 
ment would  furnish  him,  the  weather  conditions 
of  his  section  of  the  country  and  regularly  re- 
porting the  same  to  the  Bureau  at  Washington. 
He  added  that  while  there  was  no  provision  made 
in  his  Department  for  that  particular  work  he  felt 
confident  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  provid- 
ing suitable  remuneration  by  a  special  act  of  Con- 
gress. The  work,  he  thought,  could  be  done  with- 
out seriously  interfering  with  his  duties  at 
Muhlenberg  Mission.  To  this  highly  compliment- 
ary and  tempting  offer.  Dr.  Day,  with  a  look  and 
a  smile  and  a  shake  of  the  head  that  was  quite  un- 
mistakable and  conclusive  in  its  meaning,  replied, 
"I  cannot  do  it.  My  work  is  that  of  a  mis- 
sionary." 

If  that  official  had  been  a  man  of  a  different 
type  of  mind  he  probably  would  have  made  fur- 
ther effort  to  induce  him  to  accept  the  position  by 


202  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

offering  larger  remuneration,  but  he  had  not  an- 
other word  to  say,  for  he  at  once  recognized  the 
fact  that  he  had  come  up  against  an  Alpine  hero 
who  was  immovably  planted  on  the  Rock  of 
Ages.  Our  host  had  planned  to  take  us  to  the 
capitol  that  day  to  hear  a  famous  debate  that  was 
on  in  the  Senate.  Later  on  Dr.  Parson  said  to  me, 
"Aren't  you  glad  we  didn't  go  over  to  the  capi- 
tol?" and  I  replied,  "Yes,  for  the  United  States 
Senate  couldn't  have  given  us  anything  half  so 
interesting." 

Unswerving  loyalty  to  his  Master,  expressing 
itself  in  untiring  devotion  to  the  interests  of 
God's  poor  children  in  Africa,  was  the  center 
around  which  his  whole  life  revolved.  That,  and 
nothing  else,  was  his  work.  To  it  he  had  irre- 
vocably consecrated  himself. 
Many-sided  While  the  spiritual  uplift  of  his  people  was  the 
character  work  in  hand,  and  on  the  doing  of  which  he  con- 
centrated all  the  powers  of  his  being,  it  must  not 
be  supposed  that  there  was  anything  of  narrow- 
ness either  in  his  ideas  or  methods.  His  was  a 
symmetrical,  well-balanced  and  many-sided  na- 
ture. There  have  been  and  still  are  missionaries 
who  take  the  position  that  they  have  been  called 
of  God  simply  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  heathen, 
but  early  in  his  long-sustained  and  successful 
work  on  the  St.  Paul  River  he  recognized  the 
fact  that  this  was  not  sufficient  in  dealing  with 
the  savages  of  the  jungle.  Something  more  was 
needed.  Accordingly  schools  were  organized  for 
their  intellectual  training  and  development  that 


DAVID  A.  DAY  203 

they  might  not  only  be  Christians  but  intelligent 
Christians.  But  he  did  not  stop  with  church  and 
school.  Out  of  the  rude  barbarism  of  their  jun- 
gle life  a  new  civilization  must  be  created.  In- 
dustrial operations  were  accordingly  made  a 
prominent  feature  at  Muhlenberg.  Through  do- 
nations by  the  Liberian  government  and  by  pur- 
chase a  farm  of  several  hundred  acres  was  ac- 
quired. Largely  through  the  generosity  of  a 
Christian  business  man  in  New  York,  a  black- 
smith, carpenter  and  machine  shop  was  furnished 
with  the  necessary  tools,  and  all  the  boys  who 
were  brought  under  the  influence  of  the  mission 
were  required  to  learn  one  or  the  other  of  the 
occupations  represented  by  the  farm  and  the 
shop.  A  skilled  mechanic,  Clement  Irons,  a  col- 
ored man  from  the  States,  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  industrial  work  of  the  mission,  and  under 
his  training  a  number  of  fairly  competent  me- 
chanics were  developed. 

These  native  mechanics  and  their  foreman, 
under  the  direction  and  with  the  assistance  of  Dr. 
Day,  built  a  small  steamboat  that  for  a  number 
of  years  plied  between  Millsburg,  the  mission 
landing,  and  Monrovia,  twenty-eight  miles  down 
the  river.  The  engine  for  the  side-wheeler,  the 
first  steam  craft  that  ever  navigated  the  St.  Paul 
River,  was  shipped  from  this  country,  but  all  the 
rest  of  the  work  was  done  at  Muhlenberg 
Mission. 

'The  'Sarah  Ann,'  named  in  honor  of  Mrs.  I^T^^f  ^' 
Irons,"  wrote  Dr.  Day,  "is  a  nondescript  affair  River 


204  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

of  a  boat,  but  nevertheless  she  paddles  up  and 
down  the  river  two  or  three  times  a  week,  with 
much  puffing  and  groaning,  carrying  both  freight 
and  passengers.  The  'smoke  canoe,'  as  the  natives 
call  the  craft,  has  completely  revolutionized  the 
traffic  of  the  river.  I  can  now  make  the  trip  to 
Monrovia  and  return  for  fifty  cents,  and  in  less 
time,  whereas  I  was  formerly  compelled  to  pay  a 
crew  of  natives  five  dollars  to  row  me  in  their 
dugout." 
Alex.  Harris  The  evolution  of  Alcx.  Harris  furnishes  an 
interesting  illustration  of  what  has  been  and  is 
still  being  done  at  Muhlenberg  Mission  toward 
helping  those  people  up  to  a  higher  plane  of  liv- 
ing. The  case  shows  the  wisdom  of  Day  in 
combining  the  church,  the  school  and  the  various 
forms  of  manual  labor,  in  dealing  with  the  diffi- 
cult problem  by  which  he  was  confronted.  This 
boy,  along  with  a  number  of  others,  came  out 
of  the  woods,  naked  as  the  day  he  was  born  and 
as  ignorant  as  the  other  creatures  that  live  in  the 
jungle.  He  was  suitably  clothed  and  placed  in  a 
primary  school,  where,  in  the  course  of  time,  he 
acquired  the  rudiments  of  an  education.  In  the 
Sunday  school  he  advanced  from  the  position  of 
scholar  to  that  of  a  teacher  of  a  class,  and  later  on 
became  the  superintendent  of  the  school  and  a 
deacon  in  the  church. 

He  married  one  of  the  mission  girls,  moved 
out  several  miles  from  the  mission  farm,  pre- 
empted a  tract  of  land,  built  himself  a  cabin  and 
settled  down  to  the  work  of  a  pioneer  farmer. 


DAVID  A.  DAY  205 

Soon  after  he  was  settled  in  his  new  home  Mr. 
Harris  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Board  re- 
questing that  a  supply  of  primary  books  be  sent 
to  him,  as  he  proposed  to  start  a  school  for  the 
benefit  of  the  neglected  children  in  his  neighbor- 
hood. The  letter  was  well  written,  the  spelling 
was  correct  and  the  sentences  were  grammatically 
constructed.  The  writer  expressed  the  belief  that 
he  could  teach  the  children  at  night  after  his 
day's  work  on  the  farm.  At  any  rate  he  was  go- 
ing to  see  what  could  be  done.  The  books 
were  promptly  sent  and  he  paid  for  them,  al- 
though they  were  offered  to  him  as  a  donation 
from  the  Board. 

Some  seven  or  eight  years  later  I  received  an- 
other letter  from  Harris  enclosing  a  bill  of 
exchange  on  a  London  bank  for  an  amount 
sufficient  to  pay  for  a  small  steam  engine  and 
some  other  machinery.  I  was  not  a  little  sur- 
prised and  gratified  to  learn,  in  the  further  read- 
ing of  the  letter,  that  Harris'  farm  had  produced 
a  good  crop  of  coffee,  rice  and  sugar  cane  and 
that  he  needed  a  coffee  and  rice  huller,  a  winnow- 
ing machine  and  rollers  and  evaporating  pans  for 
making  molasses  and  a  steam  engine  to  run  his 
machinery  with.  A  generous-hearted  manufac- 
turer in  York,  Pa.,  on  hearing  the  story  of  the 
young  African  farmer,  said,  "I  believe  in  helping 
those  fellows  who  are  trying  to  help  themselves," 
and  at  once  instructed  his  foreman  to  carefully 
pack  and  ship  the  entire  outfit  to  Mr.  Harris  at 
forty  per  cent.  off. 


206  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

A  few  years  later  there  came  a  letter  from  Dr. 
Day  in  which  he  said,  "Last  Sunday  we  dedi- 
cated a  new  church  over  in  Alex.  Harris'  neigh- 
borhood, which  grew  out  of  the  school  which  he 
organized  some  years  ago.  He  shipped  his  coffee 
to  Baltimore  and  his  molasses  to  Liverpool,  and 
with  the  proceeds  built  the  church  all  himself. 
He  sent  to  England  and  bought  corrugated 
iron  for  the  roof  and  siding  of  the  building 
so  that  it  would  the  better  stand  this  trying 
climate,  A  large  number  of  people  assembled 
to  attend  the  dedicatory  exercises,  some  of 
them  coming  a  distance  of  many  miles.  The 
little  church  was  soon  filled  to  its  utmost  capac- 
ity; and  as  others  continued  to  come,  the  men 
went  out  and  gave  their  seats  to  the  women 
until  the  church  was  entirely  filled  with  women, 
while  the  men  gathered  about  the  door  and 
windows  to  listen  to  the  services.  On  a  cer- 
tain occasion  when  I  preached  in  a  native  town  a 
number  of  women  came  to  the  service.  The  petty 
chief  or  headman  with  his  'king  whip,'  as  it  is 
called,  laid  on  vigorously  right  and  left  and  drove 
them  all  away  saying,  'This  God-palaver  is  not 
for  women.'  On  this  occasion,  however,  the  men 
voluntarily  gave  up  the  entire  church  to  the 
women  while  they  stood  on  the  outside.  This 
will  give  you  an  idea  of  the  change  wrought  by 
the  work  of  Alex.  Harris.  The  entire  neighbor- 
hood has  been  revolutionized." 
Bishop  Dr.  Day's  knowledge  of  African  human  nature 

and  his  skill  in  handling  the  people  are  well  illus- 


Penick 


DAVID  A.  DAY  207 

trated  by  the  following  incident  related  to  the 
writer  by  Bishop  Penick  of  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church.  The  Bishop,  after  spending  a 
number  of  years  in  Africa  superintending  the 
work  of  his  Church  on  the  west  coast,  during 
which  time  he  had  paid  several  visits  to  Muhlen- 
berg Mission  for  the  purpose  of  studying  its 
methods  of  work,  was  home  on  furlough.  After 
a  somewhat  prolonged  conference  with  him  con- 
cerning the  work  in  that  section  of  the  country 
and  as  we  were  about  to  separate  he  said,  "Give 
my  respects  to  your  Board  and  tell  them  that  your 
man  Day  is  worth  any  ten  men  on  the  west  coast." 
On  intimating  that  his  estimate  of  our  missionary 
was  possibly  somewhat  over-stated  he  replied, 
"No,  sir;  I  mean  just  exactly  what  I  say.  He 
ought  to  be  a  Bishop  or  Superintendent  with  ten 
or  a  dozen  men  under  him  instead  of  being  com- 
pelled to  do  all  the  work  himself.  He  so  thor- 
oughly understands  those  people  and  is  so  fully  in 
their  confidence  that  he  can  do  anything  with  them 
that  is  reasonable,  and  they,  on  their  part,  stand 
faithfully  and  loyally  by  him  in  all  he  undertakes 
to  do."  As  an  illustration  of  his  tact  in  deaHng 
wdth  them  he  related  the  following  incident : 

A  native  "medicine  man"  or  witch  doctor  had  Medicine 
established  himself  in  vicinity  of  the  mission  and 
was  proceeding  to  practice  his  profession,  which 
consisted  of  selling  charms  and  fetiches  to  the 
people.  As  the  influence  of  the  "doctor"  was 
prejudicial  to  the  cause  he  was  endeavoring  to 
advance,  Day  quite  naturally  was  anxious  to  rid 


man 


208  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

the  community  of  his  presence.  How  to  accom- 
plish his  purpose  without  incurring  the  enmity  of 
the  natives  was  the  question,  and  the  way  he  did 
it  showed  his  wisdom  and  splendid  tact.  One 
day,  when  there  were  a  number  of  natives  loung- 
ing in  and  about  the  medicine  man's  office,  Mr. 
Day  joined  the  group  and  engaged  in  a  friendly 
palaver  concerning  the  merits  of  the  charms  of- 
fered for  sale.  Worn  about  the  neck  these  fet- 
iches were  guaranteed  to  ward  off  all  kinds  of 
disease,  prevent  accident,  protect  the  wearer  from 
the  assault  of  enemies  or  the  attack  of  wild  ani- 
mals, and,  in  general,  keep  him  from  all  harm. 
One  particular  kind  of  medicine  prepared  by  the 
"doctor,"  which  especially  interested  Day,  af- 
forded protection  against  fire.  A  house  in 
which  it  was  kept  would  never  burn  down.  Ex- 
pressing a  doubt  as  to  the  validity  of  this  claim. 
Day  was  assured  that  if  he  kept  this  medi- 
cine in  his  house  it  would  be  simply  im- 
possible for  fire  to  destroy  it,  "I  suppose,'* 
said  the  missionary,  "you  have  some  of  this 
medicine  in  your  house  ?"  Pointing  to  the  fetich 
suspended  from  a  rafter  under  the  thatched  roof 
of  his  office,  the  doctor  said,  "Fire  no  burn  dis 
house,"  and  by  way  of  emphasis  repeated  the  as- 
sertion, "Fire  no  burn  dis  house." 

By  this  time  the  interest  of  the  natives  was 
thoroughly  aroused  and  they  crowded  into  the 
little  hut  to  hear  the  palaver  of  the  missionary 
and  the  doctor.  Day  seemed  to  have  been  con- 
vinced that  the  medicine  was  good  and  said  he 


DAVID  A.  DAY  209 

supposed  he  would  have  to  buy  some  to  put  in  his 
house ;  but  before  investing  he  would  have  to  test 
its  merit.  Striking  a  match  he  held  it  to  the  dry- 
thatch  overhead  near  the  charm,  and  in  an  instant 
the  hut  was  a  flaming  torch.  So  sudden  and  com- 
plete was  the  destruction  that  the  doctor  and  his 
visitors  barely  had  time  to  escape  without  being 
scorched,  but  the  hut,  with  the  medicine  chest  and 
its  contents,  was  speedily  reduced  to  a  heap  of 
glowing  embers.  Day  pretended  to  be  greatly 
surprised  and  disappointed  at  the  failure  of  the 
medicine  to  act,  but  the  natives,  vociferously 
denouncing  the  doctor  as  *'too  much  humbug,"  set 
upon  him  with  sticks  and  stones  and  drove  him 
out  of  the  community.  "Had  I  attempted  such  a 
thing  as  that,"  added  the  Bishop,  "I  would  have 
been  a  dead  man  by  next  morning." 

Only  in  one  instance,  during  all  the  years  of  Lost 

his  residence  in  Africa,  did  the  faith  of  the  peo-  confidence 

f  restored 

pie  in  their  missionary  suffer  a  temporary  eclipse. 

In  speaking  to  them  of  his  homeland  he,  in  an 
unguarded  moment,  made  the  statement  that  in 
America  the  water  sometimes  got  so  hard  people 
could  walk  on  it.  The  many  wonderful  things  he 
had  told  them  they  believed,  but  here  they  drew 
the  line.  He,  too,  like  the  rest  of  them,  was  a 
liar.  While  at  home  on  furlough  he  confessed  to 
the  writer  that  his  people's  faith  in  him  had  suf- 
fered a  shock  that  greatly  impaired  his  influence 
among  them  and  would  be  extremely  difficult  to 
overcome.  At  the  suggestion  of  the  writer,  Day 
on  returning  to  Africa  took  out  with  him  a  small 
14 


210  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

ice  machine  costing  about  one  hundred  dollars. 
On  his  arrival  at  Muhlenberg  he  made  the  an- 
nouncement that  he  was  going  to  make  water 
hard  after  the  "Merican  fash.,"  and  a  large  crowd 
of  the  skeptics  gathered  about  him  to  witness 
the  performance.  In  a  short  time  a  quart  of 
pure  "soft"  water,  which  one  of  the  men  brought 
from  the  creek  that  supplied  the  mission,  was 
transformed  into  a  solid  block  of  ice. 

"I  not  only  vindicated  my  reputation  for  truth- 
fulness," wrote  Dr.  Day,  "but  also  had  some  rare 
fun  out  of  the  occasion,  I  gave  a  stalwart  native 
with  a  cavernous  mouth  a  small  chunk  of  'hard 
water'  to  eat.  No  sooner  had  he  put  it  into  his 
mouth  than  he  spit  it  out  and  yelling  'fire,  fire'  at 
the  top  of  his  voice  ran  into  the  bush  and  did  not 
appear  again  for  some  time.  While  another 
broad-shouldered  fellow  was  stooping  over  curi- 
ously examining  the  machine  I  slyly  laid  a  chunk 
of  ice  on  the  back  of  his  neck.  He  also  took  to 
the  bush  yelling  'fire'  at  every  jump.  This  was 
practically  the  only  use  I  ever  made  of  the  ice 
machine,  but  it  was  worth  all  it  cost,  for  it  re- 
stored me  fully  in  the  confidence  of  the  people. 
They  never  doubted  me  again." 
Early  The  early  youth  of  David  A.  Day  was  one  of 

hardships  poverty,  neglect  and  hardship.  "Many  were  the 
nights,"  he  once  said  to  the  writer,  "that  I  cried 
myself  to  sleep  on  my  bed  of  straw  in  a  livery 
stable  in  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  because  there  was  no 
one  who  cared  for  me."  That  was  the  school  in 
which  he  learned  the  divine  art  of  Christly  sym- 


DAVID  A.  DAY  211 

pathy  for  God's  poor  and  neglected  children  in 
Africa.  He  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Pa., 
February  17th,  1851,  and  died  at  sea,  on  board 
the  Cunard  Line  Steamer  "Lucania,"  December 
17th,  1897,  thirty-three  hours  before  landing  in 
New  York,  aged  forty-six  years  and  ten  months. 

He  pursued  his  studies  at  the  Missionary  Insti-   Marriage 
tute,  Selinsgrove,  Pa.,  where  he  was  married  in  ^°    ^™  ^ 
May,  1874,  to  Miss  Emily  Virginia  Winegarden, 
and  in  the  same  month  sailed  for  Africa,  arriv- 
ing in  Muhlenberg  Mission  in  June  following. 

Two  children  were  born  to  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Day 
in  Africa,  a  boy  and  a  girl,  the  former  dying  at 
six  months  of  age  and  the  latter  at  eight  months. 
A  third  child,  Leila,  was  born  in  this  country, 
February  25th,  1881,  went  with  her  mother  to 
Africa  in  1889,  and  died  April  17th,  1890.  Mrs. 
Day  died  in  this  country,  August  loth,  1895,  and 
was  buried  at  Selinsgrove,  Pa.,  where  her  hus- 
band lies  by  her  side,  while  the  three  children 
sleep  under  the  palms  in  far-away  Africa. 

During  the  twenty-three  and  a  half  years  that 
Dr.  Day  served  in  Africa  he  was  home  on  fur- 
lough only  twice.  The  first  time  in  1883,  arriving 
in  New  York  April  i6th  and  sailing  from  the 
same  place  October  6th.  His  second  brief  visit  to 
America  extended  from  May  15th  to  October 
2 1  St,  1893.  During  this  second  furlough  Dr. 
Day,  accompanied  a  good  part  of  the  time  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Board,  visited  churches,  Sunday 
schools  and  institutions  of  learning  in  twelve  dif- 
ferent  States   and   in    Canada,   traveling   about 


212  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

14,000  miles  and  delivering  181  addresses  on  the 
work  in  Africa. 

December  6th,  1896,  Dr.  Day  was  married  to 
Miss  Anna  E.  Whitfield,  of  Dundas,  Ontario, 
Canada,  who  had  been  engaged  in  mission  work 
on  the  west  coast  since  1887. 
Leaves  field  During  the  last  year  of  his  service  his  failing 
health  admonished  him,  as  well  as  his  colleagues 
in  the  mission,  that  he  could  no  longer  remain  in 
the  field,  and  accordingly,  accompanied  by  his 
wife,  he  left  Muhlenberg,  October  25th,  1897,  and 
two  days  later  sailed  from  Monrovia  in  the  steam- 
ship "Tenerieff."  Rev.  August  Pohlman,  M.D., 
his  associate  and  helper  in  the  mission,  accom- 
panied them  as  far  as  Free  Town,  Sierra  Leone, 
from  which  place  he  returned  to  the  mission. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Day  reached  England  November 
24th,  and  on  the  29th,  he  entered  the  Royal  In- 
firmary in  Liverpool  for  treatment.  Having  ap- 
parently improved  somewhat  they  sailed  from 
Liverpool  December  nth,  by  the  "Lucania," 
which  arrived  in  New  York  Saturday  afternoon 
at  four  o'clock,  December  i8th,  1897.  ^^v.  L. 
Kuhlman,  President  of  the  Board,  and  W.  F.  A. 
Kemp,  M.D.,  brought  Mrs.  Day  and  the  remains 
of  her  husband  to  the  home  of  the  Secretary  in 
Baltimore  on  Sunday  afternoon,  and  on  Monday 
afternoon  the  body  was  taken  to  the  First  Luth- 
eran Church,  where,  lying  in  state,  it  was  viewed 
by  a  large  number  of  friends. 

The  following  day  funeral  services  were  con- 
ducted by  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  the 


DAVID  A.  DAY  213 

President  and  Secretary  delivering  addresses, 
and  the  same  evening  the  remains  were  conveyed 
to  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Selinsgrove,  Pa., 
where  services  were  conducted  the  following  day, 
addresses  being  delivered  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Weber,  of 
Sunbury,  President  Zeigler,  of  the  Missionary  In- 
stitute, and  by  the  President  of  the  Board.  The 
interment,  attended  by  a  large  number  of  clergy- 
men, took  place  December  22(1,  1897. 

David  A.  Day  was  endowed  by  nature  with  one  Endow- 
of  the  prime  requisites  for  the  service  in  which  he  °^^°*^ 
engaged.  He  was  the  possessor  of  a  splendid 
body.  The  verdict  of  one  well  qualified  to  judge 
in  such  matters  was  that  tested  by  the  highest 
standards  of  physical  excellence,  comparatively 
few  young  men  could  be  found  that  would  meas- 
ure up  to  what  he  was.  This  body,  with  all  its 
capacity  for  toil  and  the  endurance  of  hardship, 
he  consecrated  to  the  service  of  the  Master. 

His  intellectual  powers  were  of  no  ordinary 
character.  Those  who  came  into  closest  touch  with 
him  knew  that,  in  the  breadth  of  his  general 
information,  in  the  accuracy  and  thoroughness  of 
his  knowledge  of  the  various  sciences,  his  careful 
observation  of  the  phenomena  of  nature,  his  ex- 
tensive familiarity  with  the  governmental  affairs 
of  the  nations  of  the  earth,  his  profound  and  in- 
telligent interest  in  the  sociological  questions  of 
the  day,  and  in  his  clear  and  comprehensive  grasp 
of  weir  nigh  every  question  that  touches  human 
life  and  interest,  Dr.  Day  had  few  if  any  peers 
among  those  engaged  in  the  same  calling  of  life. 


character 


214  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

These  powers  of  intellect  he  so  fully  consecrated 
to  the  service  of  the  Master  that,  with  the  great 
apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  he,  too,  could  say  that  he 
was  determined  not  to  know  anything  save 
Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified. 
Alpine  But  it  was  in  heart  and  soul  especially  that 

David  A.  Day  stood  forth  as  an  Alpine  character. 
In  faith  as  simple  as  a  child ;  his  hope  unquench- 
able ;  a  love  as  broad  as  humanity ;  a  courage  that 
knew  no  fear;  a  will  that  he  ever  sought  to  co- 
ordinate with  the  Divine  Will ;  a  heart  as  tender 
as  a  woman's;  and  a  devotion  to  his  work  that 
left  out  of  consideration  all  personal  comforts 
and  temporal  emoluments,  he  possessed  the  qual- 
ities of  greatness  in  no  ordinary  measure.  In 
short,  a  well  framed  body,  a  diversely  cultured 
intellect,  a  great  and  manly  soul,  a  lofty  reason, 
an  indomitable  will,  a  lion-like  courage,  a  burn- 
ing zeal,  a  heroic  devotion,  an  iron  constitution,  a 
Pauline  faith,  and  a  Christlike  love — this  was 
David  A.  Day  as  I  learned  to  know  him  through 
months  of  close  companionship  and  twenty  years 
of  official  and  personal  correspondence  with  him. 
The  question  is  sometimes  asked,  *Ts  it  right 
to  send  such  a  man  to  such  a  field?"  We  need 
not  concern  ourselves  overmuch  about  answering 
the  question.  All  we  need  to  do  is  to  remember 
that  the  Master  sent  Day  to  Africa,  and  that  in 
going  to  that  hard  field  he  simply  obeyed  the 
Master's  command  and  followed  the  Master's 
example,  with  this  difference  only,  that  the  Mas- 
ter came  down  from  an  infinitely  higher  altitude 


DAVID  A.  DAY  215 

and  descended  to  a  far  greater  depth  of  humilia- 
tion and  shame  than  has  been  the  lot  of  any  fol- 
lower of  His.  It  is,  indeed,  the  crowning  glory  of 
our  humanity,  the  very  essence  of  the  Christian 
religion,  that  there  is  implanted  in  our  nature 
something  which  impels  us  to  give  ourselves  to 
the  work  of  helping  and  saving  our  fellow-men 
without  raising  the  question  as  to  financial  emolu- 
ment and  personal  reward  of  any  kind,  or 
whether  the  saviour  or  the  saved  is  intrinsically 
the  more  worthy.  We  rejoice  in  the  fact  that 
there  always  have  been  and  still  are  to  be  found 
not  a  few  men  and  women  who  are  ready,  gladly 
and  joyfully,  to  take  their  lives  in  their  hands  and 
go  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  in  answer  to  the 
Master's  call — men  and  women  who  seem  not  to 
have  the  least  trace  of  the  materialistic  spirit  in 
them. 

In  the  presence  of  the  devotion  and  sacrifice  of 
our  Christ  shall  His  soldier  show  less  heroism, 
and  shall  the  Church  of  the  living  God  exhibit 
less  interest  in  the  men  and  women  she  sends  to 
the  field,  or  accord  to  them  a  less  hearty  and 
generous  support? 

St.  Francis  Xavier  said :  "If  the  lands  of  the 
savages  had  scented  woods  and  mines  of  gold, 
Christians  would  find  courage  to  go  there,  nor 
would  the  perils  of  the  world  prevent  them. 
Shall  love  be  less  hearty  and  less  generous  than 
avarice  ?" 

Of  all  others,  we  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
should  be  the  very  last  to  show  a  lack  of  courage 


216  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

in  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  world's  evangeli- 
zation. Of  all  others  we,  who  have  our  ecclesias- 
tical descent  from  the  indomitable,  much-endur- 
ing and  storm-braving  hero  of  the  Reformation 
days,  should  not  be  found  wanting  in  bone  and 
sinew,  in  moral  grit  and  iron  in  the  blood. 

Such  a  one  was  David  A.  Day,  who  so  cour- 
ageously stood  at  his  post  and  endured  to  the 
end.  Again  and  again  he  wrote  home:  "Under 
no  circumstances  will  I  consent  to  leave  the  field 
until  everything  is  in  good  shape."  To  make  such 
a  stand,  in  view  of  failing  health  and  confronted 
by  all  but  insurmountable  difficulties,  required  the 
heroism  of  a  Paul,  and  inspiration  and  an  impulse 
from  above,  that,  in  the  face  of  the  deadliest  dan- 
gers, enabled  him  to  say :  "None  of  these  things 
move  me,  neither  count  I  my  life  dear  unto  my- 
self, so  that  I  might  finish  my  course  with  joy, 
and  the  ministry,  which  I  have  received  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of 
God."  It  thrills  one's  heart  and  renews  one's 
faith  in  the  unseen  and  eternal  to  contemplate 
the  life  of  such  a  man,  and  at  the  same  time  our 
own  past  doing  and  giving  for  the  cause  shrivel 
and  shrink  into  comparative  insignificance  in  con- 
trast with  the  self-sacrificing  devotion  of  such 
a  man. 
His  life's  With  him  the  main  business  of  life  was  not  to 

main  avoid  fatiguc,  or  seek  personal  comfort,  or  the 

business  ,         ,  ,  .  ,  ,  ,.  , 

supply  of  his  temporal  wants,  but  to  accomplish 
the  work  to  which  he  felt,  with  a  conviction  that 
amounted  to  a  certainty,  that  he  had  been  called 


DAVID  A.  DAY  217 

of  God.  Like  Livingstone  in  the  African  jungle, 
pushing  his  way  into  the  very  heart  of  the  Dark 
Continent,  he  will  die  in  the  doing  of  his  work 
rather  than  permit  his  God-given  powers  to  fall 
into  decay  amid  the  tropical  luxuries  of  a  genteel 
good-for-nothingness. 

Of  like  spirit,  too,  was  Mrs.  Day,  his  help-  Mrs.  Day 
mate  and  untiring  worker  in  the  mission  for 
more  than  twenty  years,  and  who  preceded  him 
to  the  celestial  world  by  two  years  and  four 
months.  Only  a  short  time  before  her  death  she, 
with  undaunted  faith  and  Spartan  courage,  so 
weak  she  could  hardly  wield  her  pen,  wrote  to 
her  husband,  standing  like  the  hero  he  was,  in 
his  place  at  the  front,  "Do  not  come  home.  Stay 
where  you  are.  Africa  needs  you  more  than  I 
do."  Taking  all  the  circumstances  into  considera- 
tion, few  mortal  lips  ever  gave  utterance  to 
braver  and  more  heroic  words — words  that 
sounded  the  very  depth  of  a  self-sacrificing  and 
heroic  devotion  to  the  Master's  cause. 

No  wonder  that  she,  too,  with  her  husband,  was  Touching 
enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  for  whom  incident 
she  had  so  faithfully  labored.  When  the  great 
sorrow  of  his  life  came  to  Dr.  Day  the  little  chil- 
dren in  the  mission  soon  learned  the  nature  of 
the  sad  news  from  America.  Gathering  a  bunch 
of  snow-white  lilies  they  placed  them  in  the  hands 
of  one  of  their  number,  a  little  girl,  who  bore 
them  to  his  room,  silently  laid  them  at  his  feet, 
and  then  humbly  kneeling  before  him  kissed  his 


218  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

feet  and  quietly  withdrew   without   speaking   a 
single  word. 

The  dying  message  of  Mrs.  Day  is  equaled 
only  by  the  words  which,  at  one  time,  were 
thought  to  be  the  last  utterance  of  Dr.  Day. 
"Close  up  the  ranks — more  men  wanted — close 
up."  These  utterances  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Day  are 
worthy  of  being  engraved  not  simply  on  the  mar- 
ble tomb  that  marks  their  last  resting  place,  but 
on  the  living,  pulsating,  consecrated  heart  of  the 
Church  which  they  loved  and  served  so  well. 
With  such  examples  of  courage  and  consecration 
before  us  no  one  should  hesitate  to  do  his  part  in 
carrying  forward  the  work  to  which  they  devoted 
their  lives. 

"The  pitying  Christ  Himself,  with  heart  of  love. 
Is  loudly  calling  through  the  Spirit's  power: 
The  sound  is  world-wide,  but  the  few  alone 
Have  ears  attuned  to  catch  the  trumpet-tone ; 

The  rest,  unheeding,  seek  for  earthly  dower. 
Nor  care  for  treasures  stored  above. 

"li  eyes  could  pierce,  as  did  the  seer  of  old, 
The  veil  that  dimly  shuts  our  vision  in, 

The  fiery  chariots  of  a  heavenly  host 

Would  greet  our  gaze,  equipped  to  guard  each  post 
Where  trusting  hearts  dare  all  to  lead  from  sin 

God's  bleeding  lambs  into  His  fold. 

"And  still  brave  men  are  waiting,  doubting  God, 
And  weakly  pleading :  'Ah !  it  costs  too  much.' 
Too  much,  when  every  soul  that  tastes  death's  sting 
Is  worth  the  mighty  ransom  of  a  king? 

Too  much,  when  Christ  gave  all  to  rescue  such, 
And  bids  us  follow  where  He  trod? 


DAVID  A.   DAY  219 

"Oh !  that  the  Church  of  God  might  rouse  from  ease, 
Cast  off  her  robes  of  state ;  might  grandly  move 

Impetuous  to  the  mighty  fray,  and  girt 

With  Christ's  own  presence,  fear  not  loss  nor  hurt. 
'Tis  he  who  loses  life  below  to  please 

His  King,  wins  life  with  Him  above." 

The  question  may  be  asked,  "What  is  the  secret 
of  such  a  Hfe  as  the  one  here  under  review? 
What  molding  influence,  what  shaping  hand, 
what  transforming  power  wrought  this  miracle? 
Who  was  it  that  took  the  poor,  homeless,  ragged, 
bare-foot  boy,  crying  himself  to  sleep  under  a 
horse  blanket  in  a  livery  stable,  and  set  him  high 
up  on  a  pedestal  of  loving  hearts  as  a  recog- 
nized Missionary  Hero  of  His  Church?  Only  He 
could  work  such  a  miracle,  by  His  saving  grace 
and  renewing  power.  Who  Himself  was  born  in  a 
stable  and  cradled  in  a  manger. 


SAMUEL  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER 


SAMUEt   CHRISTIAN    KINSINGER 


SAMUEL  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER 

BY  REV.    E.   G.    HOWARD 

It  was  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  1888  that  a  Early  days 
young  man  from  the  West  presented  himself  at 
Wittenberg  College  for  admission  to  prepare  for 
a  chosen  life-work.  His  appearance  was  that  of 
a  typical  Westerner,  tall  and  slender,  somewhat 
more  mature  than  the  ordinary  student  upon 
entering  college,  being  at  this  time  twenty-four 
years  of  age.  He  wore  a  broad-brimmed  hat  of 
light-brown  felt,  neglige  shirt  and  belt,  suggestive 
indeed  of  the  great  rolling  prairies  from  which  he 
had  just  come.  His  maturity  of  appearance  was 
the  result  not  only  of  the  slight  advance  in  years 
beyond  many  of  his  fellows,  but  of  a  variety  of 
experience.  His  name  was  Samuel  Christian 
Kinsinger. 

His  earliest  home  was  near  the  little  village  of 
Somerville,  Butler  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
born  March  31st,  1864.  His  devout  German 
parents  had  but  recently  immigrated  from  the 
Fatherland.  His  father  died  when  Samuel  was 
but  nine  years  of  age.  To  his  mother  he  was 
deeply  attached  by  more  than  an  ordinary  filial 
affection.  She  was  a  real  "Hannah"'  whose  ear- 
nest desire  was  that  her  children  might  serve  the 
Lord.  The  incense  of  her  prayers  filled  the  house 
and  left  an  abiding  impression  upon  the  life  of 
223 


224  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

the  young  boy.  Often  was  the  child  rocked  to 
sleep  to  the  accompaniment  of  his  mother's 
prayer.  Long  after,  upon  the  anniversary  of  her 
death,  he  recorded  in  his  diary  this  appreciation : 
"Twenty-four  years  ago  this  evening  my  sainted 
mother  fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  .  .  ,  She  left  me  the 
legacy  of  a  holy  life.  Her  prayers  went  up  as 
a  memorial  to  God.  To  all  these  I  owe  much. 
To-night  I  recall  that  holy  life  with  a  feeling  of 
tender  and  sacred  awe."  Her  life  was  ever 
hallowed  to  him  as  the  holiest  he  had  ever 
known. 
Moves  to  ^^  ^^^^  spring  of  1870,  the  family  removed  to 

Missouri  Cass  County,  Missouri.  As  a  farmer  lad  he  grew 
in  years,  and  was  fond  of  sport,  always  honest 
and  fair,  never  quarrelsome  or  malicious,  and  a 
favorite  with  all  his  playmates.  As  he  grew 
older  there  developed  a  marked  interest  in  the 
conversation  of  older  people,  which  grew 
stronger  than  his  love  for  play.  A  retentive 
memory  enabled  him  to  recount  the  things  he 
had  heard,  and  he  seldom  missed  the  strong 
points  of  a  story  or  argument.  Until  fourteen 
years  of  age  he  was  fond  neither  of  study  nor 
books,  and  seldom  read  anything  except  what 
was  required  of  him  at  school.  He  made  no 
marked  progress  in  his  studies,  although  manag- 
ing to  keep  up  with  his  classes.  However,  he 
did  delight  and  excel  in  declamation,  which  made 
for  him  many  friends  and  undoubtedly  assisted 
much  in  the  work  of  later  life. 

When  his  father  died  the  work  of  the  farm 


SAMUEL  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER  225 

devolved  upon  him  and  an  older  brother,  and 
although  he  was  not  fond  of  it,  he  never  com- 
plained except  to  say  that  he  took  no  pleasure 
in  it. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1877  Samuel  was  con-  His  con- 
verted at  a   revival  meeting  held   in  a   school-  ^"^'"° 
house,  there  being  no  church  in  the  town.    Later 
he    was    received   into    the   membership   of   the 
Mennonite  Church. 

In  1878  he  was  bereft  of  his  mother,  and  his 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  D.  L.  Kenagy,  was  appointed 
his  guardian  and  took  him  into  his  own  home 
for  a  time.  Samuel,  desiring  to  be  self-support- 
ing, found  work  during  the  summer  upon  a  farm 
not  far  away.  During  this  summer  he  had  access 
to  a  good  library  and  developed  a  taste  for  read- 
ing. In  his  leisure  hours  he  read  the  lives  of 
Lincoln  and  Douglas,  and  also  the  famous  Lin- 
coln and  Douglas  debates  of  1858.  The  follow- 
ing winter  he  made  his  home  with  an  invalid 
neighbor,  doing  chores  for  his  board  and  attend- 
ing the  village  school.  He  now  had  a  good 
teacher  of  literary  tastes,  and  to  his  liking.  A 
deep  interest  in  literature  and  history,  with  great 
fondness  for  reading,  developed.  It  may  be 
termed  the  period  of  his  intellectual  awakening. 

Near  the  close  of  the  term,  Mr.  Cass,  the 
neighbor  with  whom  he  spent  the  winter,  died; 
and  Mrs.  Cass,  having  become  much  attached 
to  the  boy,  asked  that  he  might  accompany  her 
to  Illinois,  where  she  had  decided  to  make  her 
future  home.  Her  request  was  granted,  as  Sam- 
15 


226 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Moves  to 
Illinois 


Iowa  life 


Agent 
American 
Express 
Company 


uel  was  eager  to  go,  and  so,  in  the  early  spring 
of  1880,  he  accompanied  her  to  her  new  home. 
The  summer  was  spent  on  a  farm  near  Jackson- 
ville, and  at  the  close,  he  sent  his  guardian  his 
savings,  which  after  deducting  necessary  ex- 
penses and  the  cost  of  a  trip  farther  east, 
amounted  to  twenty-live  dollars.  He  then  visited 
an  uncle  in  the  same  State  and  remained  with 
him  during  the  winter  of  1880-81,  attending 
school.  Towards  the  close  of  the  term,  an  aunt, 
Mrs.  Hickathier,  of  Fairfield,  Iowa,  visited  the 
place,  and  taking  a  deep  interest  in  the  lad, 
offered  him  a  home  in  Iowa.  Having  here  the 
advantage  of  a  good  school,  he  made  marked 
progress  and  increased  in  popularity  and  esteem. 
Of  Kinsinger's  life  at  the  time,  Prof.  J.  B.  Mon- 
lux,  the  Superintendent  of  the  Fairfield  High 
School,  writes:  "From  the  very  first  he  im- 
pressed me  by  his  earnestness,  faithfulness  and 
strict  attention  to  duty,  and  presaged  definitely 
the  spirit  of  noble  self-sacrifice  that  character- 
ized his  short  but  splendid  career."  Mrs.  Hick- 
athier recalls  his  hearty  Christian  life,  as  pure 
and  honest,  but  jovial,  participating  in  all  pleas- 
ures, and  appreciating  keenly  any  joke,  whether 
at  his  own  or  another's  expense. 

For  a  time  in  the  early  summer  of  1882,  em- 
ployment was  found  in  a  tile  factory,  where  he 
remained  until  he  secured,  through  the  influence 
of  his  brother,  a  position  as  driver  for  the  Ameri- 
can Express  Company.  He  was  promoted  a 
year  later  to  route  agent,  having  several  different 


SAMUEL,  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER         227 

runs,  until  he  finally  located  in  Burlington,  run- 
ning from  that  city  to  Omaha. 

HIS   CONNECTION    WITH   THE   LUTHERAN    CHURCH 

At  Fairfield  he  attended  the  Lutheran  Sunday 
school  and  church,  and  when  he  removed  to 
Burlington  he  was  introduced  to  the  Lutheran 
pastor,  Rev.  J.  H.  Culler,  in  charge  of  the  mis- 
sion. Feeling  at  home  in  this  church  he  united 
with  the  same  and  threw  himself  with  character- 
istic energy  and  devotion  into  the  work  of  the 
mission.  His  pastor  testifies  that  his  faith  in- 
volved every  spiritual  force  within  him.  In  the 
pew  he  was  a  good  hearer.  In  the  Sunday  school, 
the  Young  People's  Society,  the  prayer  meeting, 
the  choir,  and  the  social  relations  of  the  church, 
he  was  active  and  efficient.  He  always  wanted 
to  help.  He  revived  another  mission  Sunday 
school  in  the  city  of  which  he  was  chosen  super- 
intendent, and  here  found  a  joy  in  the  work 
which  prepared  the  way  for  the  dedication  of  his 
life  to  definite  Christian  service  later.  In  these 
relationships  he  demonstrated  his  aptness  to  teach 
and  showed  administrative  and  executive  ability 
of  a  high  order.  His  remarkable  influence  over 
individuals  was  also  already  manifest.  The 
children  of  the  school,  the  adult  members  of  the 
congregation,  and  even  the  men  in  the  train 
service,  responded  to  his  interest  in  a  most  cor- 
dial way. 

He  was  repeatedly  promoted  by  the  Express 
Company  until  he  was  local  agent  at  Albia,  Iowa, 


228 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Settles  his 
life's  work 


Enters 

Wittenberg 

College 


where  he  advanced  the  company's  business  in  a 
marked  degree. 

It  was  while  located  here  that  he  received  the 
letter  from  his  pastor,  Rev.  J.  H.  Culler,  that 
most  deeply  influenced  his  life.  It  was  a  message 
calling  him  to  consider  the  claims  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry.  In  his  reply  he  lays  bare  the 
struggle  of  his  own  soul  as  he  had  alone  faced 
this  problem,  but  had  been  unable  to  reach  a 
decision.  He  refers  to  the  hope  the  letter  had 
aroused  with  him,  saying:  "Why  should  I  not 
accept  the  'high  calling  of  God?'  If  I  under- 
stand the  promptings  of  my  own  heart  and  soul, 
there  is  no  place  that  I  would  not  go,  if  I  knew 
He  were  calling  me." 

After  further  correspondence  the  matter  was 
settled  through  much  prayer  and  thoughtful  con- 
sideration, and  the  conclusion  was  sealed  in  a 
communication  with  these  words :  "I  willingly 
yield  and  will  consecrate  my  entire  service  to  the 
Lord,  God  helping  me.  This  is  not  done  with- 
out a  bitter  cost  after  all,  but  I  make  the  self- 
denial  willingly   for  Jesus'  sake." 

After  the  decision  had  been  reached  he  pre- 
pared to  enter  Wittenberg  College.  His  educa- 
tional qualifications  were  somewhat  limited,  so 
far  as  the  schools  were  concerned,  but  he  had 
received  a  preparation  that  schools  could  not 
give.  His  employment  had  brought  him  in  con- 
tact with  men  at  their  worst  and  at  their  best. 
His  sensitive  soul  felt  the  needs  of  humanity  and 
realized  that  the  gospel  alone  could  meet  those 


SAMUEI.  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER  229 

needs.  He  came,  therefore,  not  merely  to  en- 
joy the  pleasures  of  a  college  life,  but  to  enter 
upon  the  most  serious  business  that  could  con- 
cern a  man.  So  keenly  did  he  feel  this  that  the 
first,  deepest  and  most  lasting  impression  that 
he  made  on  everyone  was  that  he  was  "dead  in 
earnest." 

His  age,  as  well  as  his  limited  means,  and  the 
urgent  need  of  Christian  workers,  forbade  his 
taking  the  full  college  course.  Having  elected 
two  years  of  college  and  three  of  seminary  work,  » 
he  addressed  himself  energetically  to  his  tasks. 
The  handicap  of  imperfect  preparation,  together 
with  the  fact  that  he  had  been  for  so  long  a  time 
engaged  in  other  pursuits,  made  the  same  ex- 
ceedingly difficult.  Gradually,  however,  his  abil- 
ity to  handle  his  studies  grew  until  he  was  able 
to  rank  above  the  average  in  most  of  his  classes. 

Those  years  of  educational  preparation  were  CoUegedays 
also  years  of  most  valuable  service.  No  sooner 
had  he  entered  college  than  he  threw  himself  with 
rare  devotion  into  the  religious  activities  of  the 
same.  Nor  did  he  wholly  turn  aside  from  other 
features  of  college  life.  The  work  of  the  literary 
society,  of  which  he  became  a  member,  called 
for  a  very  considerable  portion  of  his  time  and 
interest.  But  the  religious  work  was  to  him  para- 
mount in  importance.  His  capacity  for  leader- 
ship was  recognized  early  in  his  course  and  the 
close  of  the  first  year  finds  him  President  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  He  also 
kept  in  touch  with  the  Springfield  City  Associa- 


230  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

tion  and  gave  it  valuable  service.  But  the  college 
field  offered  him  one  of  his  life's  great  oppor- 
tunities, and  it  is  questionable  if  elsewhere  he 
rendered  service  of  more  far-reaching  importance 
than  during  those  student  days.  He  enjoyed  the 
privilege  of  attending  the  Student  Conference 
at  Northfield,  Mass.,  during  his  first  vacation, 
and  with  the  information  and  inspiration  there 
gained,  applied  himself  to  the  work  among  the 
students  with  such  success  that  it  is  probable  that 
the  tide  of  spiritual  life  has  never  since  risen 
higher  than  when  his  influence  was  being  so 
vitally  felt,  A  certain  seemingly  icy  coldness  and 
heartless  indifference  gave  way  to  a  warm  feel- 
ing of  Christian  fellowship,  so  that  it  was  said 
that  for  twenty  years  the  religious  tone  and  moral 
conditions  had  not  been  as  good  as  at  that  time. 
Prayer  meetings,  Bible  classes  and  personal 
work  produced  results  in  conversions  and  in 
quickening  of  spiritual  life.  Kinsinger's  spirit- 
ual power  was  everywhere  felt.  In  committee 
meetings,  in  the  devotional  services,  in  missionary 
gatherings,  and  in  the  leadership  of  Bible  classes, 
he  exerted  an  influence  that  left  a  marked  im- 
pression. One  of  the  students,  then  inclined  to  be 
careless  and  indifferent,  has  since  written  of  him : 
"We  did  not  so  much  respect  his  ability  as  his 
simple  and  earnest  ways.  His  respect  and  love 
for  the  Scriptures  were  remarkable — so  much 
so  as  to  inspire  a  similar  feeling  among  his  stu- 
dents. The  fact  that  he  induced — simply  by  a 
request — a  majority  of  his  class  to  study  their 


Christian 


SAMUEIv  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER  231 

Bibles  an  average  of  seven  hours  a  week,  evi- 
dences his  power." 

He  was  constantly  engaged  in  personal  work 
and  conducted  a  workers'  training  class  for  a 
time.  In  the  confidential  report  of  this  class, 
for  the  year  1892-93,  he  stated  that  he  believed 
God  had  used  him  that  year  in  bringing  thirt}'- 
six  souls  to  Christ. 

He  also  gave  time  and  thought  to  association  General 
work  beyond  the  limited  field  of  his  own  college. 
Through  his  attendance  at  the  conventions  of 
the  State  and  his  hearty  participation  in  the 
programs  of  the  same,  he  not  only  increased  in 
personal  power,  but  contributed  to  the  larger 
work.  Consequently  he  was  one  of  the  picked 
young  men  of  the  Ohio  colleges  to  be  called 
into  deputation  work  and  so  visited,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  State  Association,  other  colleges 
of  the  State,  strengthening  the  Associations 
therein. 

Likewise  did  he  interest  himself  in  the  work 
of  the  church  with  which  he  was  identified  during 
his  student  days.  Having  selected  the  Second 
Lutheran  Church  of  Springfield  as  the  one  pre- 
senting to  him  the  greatest  opportunity  for  use- 
fulness, he  addressed  himself  to  the  work  that 
lay  before  him.  With  the  consent  and  co-opera- 
tion of  the  pastor,  he  proceeded  to  organize  the 
young  people  into  a  Young  People's  Society  of 
Christian  Endeavor,  and  had  the  joy  of  seeing 
it  develop  from  its  organization  to  a  membership 
of  ninety  during  the  first  year.     So  well  were 


232  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

the  foundations  laid  that  it  has  continued  a  strong 
and  active  organization  to  the  present  time. 

The  Sunday  school  also  felt  the  efifect  of  his 
earnest  endeavors.  His  vv^ork  as  a  teacher  was 
effective  here  as  elsewhere.  He  attended  a  little 
school  not  far  from  the  college  in  the  afternoons, 
and  for  a  time  superintended  the  same.  With 
all  these  activities,  which  were  leaving  a  marked 
impression  upon  other  lives,  he  personally  felt 
that  he  was  somewhat  slothful  and  inactive  in  the 
service  of  his  Lord. 

At  this  time,  like  most  colleges,  Wittenberg 
had  no  regular  course  of  Bible  study  provided  in 
its  curriculum.  A  committee  of  students,  among 
whom  Kinsinger  was  prominent,  addressed 
themselves  to  the  matter,  with  the  result  that 
largely  through  his  personal  efforts  Bible  study 
has  since  been  a  regular  feature  of  the  courses 
offered  students. 
Early  work  Evcn  before  his  admittance  to  the  Seminary 
in  the  pulpit  the  invitation  came  to  him  to  supply  the  pulpit 
of  the  vacant  Vandalia  Charge  near  Dayton. 
Here  he  spent  a  summer  vacation  or  two,  and 
some  additional  time,  with  such  marked  results 
that  when  the  Troy  Church  seemed  a  forlorn 
hope  and  about  to  succumb,  he  was  urged  by 
the  President  of  Synod  to  give  it  his  attention. 
The  result  was  that  from  an  attendance  of  thir- 
teen people  to  whom  he  preached  the  first  Sun- 
day, he  had  the  joy  of  seeing  constantly  increas- 
ing numbers  until  eighteen  months  later  three 
lumdred    and    fifty   people   greeted   him   at   his 


SAMUEL  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER  233 

farewell  service.  The  church  membership  had 
increased  in  that  period  threefold,  reporting 
eighty  communicants  and  its  apportionment 
raised  in  full,  at  the  meeting  of  Synod  that  fall. 
The  work  had  been  done  during  his  vacations 
and  while  pursuing  his  seminary  course  with  the 
occasional  assistance  of  other  students.  Such 
success  had  impressed  some  of  Kinsinger's 
friends  with  his  special  fitness  for  Home  Mission 
work,  and  led  them  to  urge  him  to  devote  him- 
self entirely  to  it. 

But  he  had  received  a  larger  call ;  it  was  of  c^n  to 
fields  beyond  the  seas  white  unto  the  harvest,  foreign 
where  there  were  few  laborers.  This  call  he 
could  not  refuse  to  heed.  His  interest  in  the 
foreign  work  was  gradual  in  its  awakening, 
The  missionary  appeal  was  probably  strongly 
presented  at  Northfield  in  1889.  That  fall  he 
had  the  privilege  of  hearing  Dr.  Kugler  present 
the  needs  of  the  India  work  and  of  meeting  her 
personally.  His  information  concerning  the  need 
was  increased  by  his  reading.  Finally,  the  de- 
cision was  reached  that  he  should  become  a  for- 
eign missionary.  "To  me,"  said  he,  "it  is  a  very 
simple  matter.  I  believe  God  wants  me  where 
I  can  do  the  most  good.  I  can  surely  do  the 
greatest  good  where  the  greatest  need  is."  That 
India  needed  him  most  became  his  settled  con- 
viction. To  bring  this  need  of  the  heathen  world 
to  other  hearts  became  a  ruling  purpose  of  his 
student  days.  By  public  address,  through  his 
mission  study  classes,  in  personal  interviews,  he 


234  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

pressed  home  the  appeal.  There  are  not  wanting 
those  who  believe  that  as  a  volunteer  at  college 
and  among  the  students,  he  gave  the  foreign 
cause  a  mighty  impetus. 

The  missionaries  on  the  field  were  appealing 
for  reinforcements  when  his  application  for  a 
commission  was  presented  to  the  Board,  but 
funds  were  not  available.  His  application  could 
not,  therefore,  be  accepted.  Nothing  daunted, 
he  again  wrote  offering  to  raise  among  the 
churches  of  Springfield  and  the  students  of  the 
college,  subscriptions  for  his  support,  if  he  could 
be  commissioned  under  this  condition.  The  re- 
ply was  that  there  were  no  funds  available  even 
for  his  outfit  and  transportation,  and  that  unless 
subscriptions  sufficient  for  these  also  were  se- 
cured, the  Board  could  not  see  its  way  to  send 
him  out,  although  expressing  its  appreciation  of 
the  splendid  spirit  that  prompted  his  application. 
He  at  once  prepared  to  meet  the  conditions.  The 
churches  and  students  came  to  his  support. 
Friends  and  churches  which  he  visited  in  Cali- 
fornia during  the  summer,  and  on  his  return 
trip,  with  the  help  of  voluntary  supplementary 
offerings  by  the  Synods  which  he  visited  before 
his  departure,  completed  his  outfit.  He  felt  that 
God  thus  sealed  his  purpose  with  His  approval. 

After  a  great  farewell  meeting  in  which  the 
churches  of  Springfield  and  the  Wittenberg  stu- 
dents united,  on  the  morning  of  October  14th, 
1894,  he  began  the  journey  which  was  to  bring 
him  to  the  long-desired  field.    At  New  York  he 


SAMUEL  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER  235 

was  joined  by  Misses  Amy  Sadtler,  Jessie  Brewer 
and  Katherine  Fahs,  who  were  to  accompany 
him.  He  sailed  October  17th,  and  reached  Gun- 
tur,  India,  December  6th,  1894. 

Of  his  personal  feelings  and  desires  during 
those  early  days,  we  have  a  glimpse  from  a  letter 
written  a  friend  at  home :  "Do  you  know  I  have 
never  known  such  sweet  and  blessed  peace  in 
all  my  life  as  that  which  has  filled  my  soul  since 
turning  my  footsteps  toward  the  shores  of  this 
dark  land  ?  .  .  .  Oh !  how  much  I  long  for  spirit- 
ual power  in  this  dark  land  of  sin  and  sorrow, 
to  do  my  Master's  holy  will  and  to  lead  many 
of  these  benighted  souls  one  by  one  to  Him. 
...  I  am  trying  to  cling  close  to  Jesus  that  His 
strength  may  be  made  perfect  in  my  weakness, 
that  the  excellence  of  His  sweet  grace  may  be  of 
God  and  not  of  man." 

Upon  reaching  India,  his  first  home,  though  but 
for  a  brief  time,  was  with  the  family  of  Rev. 
John  Aberly,  with  whose  children  he  soon  be- 
came a  favorite.  His  first  important  task  was 
the  acquisition  of  the  Telugu  tongue.  This, 
though  difficult  of  acquirement,  through  God's 
grace  and  persistent  eflfort  he  could  use  with 
comparative  ease  and  fluency.  During  this  period 
he  had  a  great  desire  to  be  of  service,  but  could 
do  little  directly  with  the  people.  To  acquire  the 
language  more  rapidly  and  to  mingle  with  the 
natives  more  freely  the  Conference  sent  him  to 
the  District,  where  he  lived  in  the  bungalow  lately 
vacated  by  ]\Iiss  Kistler.  Of  this  period  he  speaks 


236 


MISSIONARY  HEROES 


Success  in 
language 


First  field, 
Vinukonda 


thus  in  a  letter:  "During  this  time  of  patient 
waiting  until  I  can  tell  the  sweet  old  story  of  love 
in  the  sanctuary,  I  must  be  content  to  simply 
shine  for  Jesus." 

Not  quite  a  year  after  his  arrival  in  India,  he 
made  his  first  address  in  Telugu. 

The  India  Conference  meeting  on  January 
nth,  decided  that  Kinsinger  should  assist  as  a 
Bible  teacher  in  the  College  at  Guntur.  He  re- 
moved thither  and  took  up  his  residence  with  Dr. 
Uhl.  Such  was  his  success  in  his  work  that  Dr. 
Aberly  could  write :  "The  Principal  of  the  Col- 
lege and  I  frequently  talked  over  the  matter 
and  thought  that  had  we  workers  enough  on  the 
field  to  admit  of  it,  no  wiser  thing  could  be  done 
than  to  make  him  a  permanent  Bible  teacher  in 
the  College."  Besides  his  work  of  teaching  he 
also  occasionally  conducted  chapel  worship,  where 
he  had  the  privilege  of  addressing  four  to  five 
hundred  heathen  boys,  on  gospel  themes. 

After  a  few  weeks'  sojourn  in  the  summer  of 
1896,  at  Dindi-by-the-Sea,  for  rest  and  to  escape 
the  heat  of  the  plains,  he  took  up  the  district 
work  in  Vinukonda,  his  appointed  field.  Here 
he  lived  in  a  little  one-room  native  hut.  While 
it  may  be  a  question  whether  it  was  wise  for 
him  to  live  in  such  narrow  and  cramped  quar- 
ters, in  a  climate  hostile  at  best  to  Americans, 
we  are  sure  no  one  will  question  his  consecration 
in  doing  so,  that  he  might  have  more  intimate 
contact  with  the  natives  whom  he  had  come  to 
reach  with  the  gospel.    In  his  little  native  house, 


SAMUEI.  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER  237 

built  of  walls  of  mud  and  stone,  roofed  over 
with  tiles,  with  a  mud  floor,  two  small  windows 
and  two  doors,  the  walls  whitewashed  to  cover 
the  smoke  stains  left  by  the  previous  native  oc- 
cupants, Kinsinger  lived  for  over  a  year.  Five 
days  after  taking  up  his  abode  he  dedicated  this 
humble  place  with  these  words :  "To-night  I 
solemnly  set  this  house  apart  to  God  to  be  to 
Him  a  holy  home,  one  in  which  His  presence 
shall  dwell  and  His  name  be  glorified  while  I 
Hve  here."  A  little  later  he  wrote :  "As  I  sit 
here  in  my  one-room  house  to-night,  it  really 
seems  a  little  close  and  cramped  after  a  few 
weeks  in  one  of  the  delightful  large  bungalows  in 
Guntur.  But  the  place  is  very  dear  to  me.  I 
would  not  to-night  exchange  it  for  any  condi- 
tion at  home,  either  high  or  low."  It  was  at 
this  time  that  he  quoted  the  following  lines  in  a 
letter  to  the  churches  of  Springfield : 

"Lonely  ?     Xo,  not  lonely 

While  Jesus  standeth  by ; 
His  presence  fills  my  chamber, 
I  know  that  He  is  nigh. 

"Saddened  ?     Oh !  yes,  saddened 
By  earth's  deep  sin  and  woe ; 
How  can  I  count  as  nothing 
What  grieved  my  Saviour  so? 

"Helpless?     Yes,  so  helpless, 

But  I  am  leaning  hard 
On  the  mighty  arms  of  Jesus, 

And  He  is  keeping  guard. 


238  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

"Happy?    Yes,  so  happy. 

With  joy  too  deep  for  words; 
A  precious,  sure  foundation, 
A  joy  that  is  my  Lord's." 


Into  the  detail  of  missionary  service  during 
the  months  that  followed  we  cannot  fully  enter. 
The  conference  of  the  Lutheran  missionaries  at 
Rajahmundry  in  September,  an  inspiring  con- 
ference at  Guntur  in  October,  together  with  the 
Sunday  school  convention  at  the  same  place, 
were  events  that  left  their  impression  upon  his 
mind  and  heart.  There  followed  a  tour  of  the 
district  in  company  with  Rev.  Yeiser.  Miles 
upon  miles  of  travel  over  plains,  across  mount- 
ains and  through  jungles,  with  the  joyful  priv- 
ilege of  preaching  the  gospel,  often  several  times 
a  day,  and  in  many  places  where  the  name  of 
Jesus  had  never  before  been  spoken,  were  experi- 
ences that  were  crowded  into  those  few  Decem- 
ber weeks. 

Months  of  initiatory  service  were  followed  by 
a  year  filled  to  overflowing  with  missionary 
activities.  Two  long  tours  were  made  in  the 
Vinukonda-Kanigiri  field,  to  which  he  was  now 
assigned.  Each  tour  took  him  eighty  miles  or 
more  from  home.  Other  shorter  tours  were  also 
made.  Amidst  the  hardships  of  these  journeys, 
with  the  climate  unfriendly,  swamps  and  jungle 
infested  with  fever,  he  would  fall  back  upon  the 
assurances  of  the  ninety-first  Psalm  as  espe- 
cially meeting  a  missionary's  needs.    "There  shall 


SAMUEL  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER         239 

no  evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall  any  plague  come 
nigh  thy  tent." 

The  elementary  schools  of  his  district,  paroch- 
ial in  character,  were  under  his  supervision. 
Special  efforts  v^ere  constantly  made  to  develop 
his  workers.  Some  of  the  congregations  had 
been  temporarily  broken  up  by  the  famine.  De- 
spite the  peculiar  difficulties  of  the  year,  progress 
was  being  made. 

On  one  day  of  that  eventful  year  his  cup  of  Early  fruits 
joy  was  full  to  overflowing.  Thirty-nine  souls 
were  baptized  in  one  village — his  own  spiritual 
children.  Shortly  after  he  removed  to  Vinu- 
konda,  a  man  came  to  him  sixteen  miles  on  foot 
to  learn  about  our  God,  When  Kinsinger  told 
him  about  Jesus  he  wanted  to  be  baptized  at 
once.  But  owing  to  a  mission  rule  this  could 
not  be  done,  and  he  was  given  some  portions 
of  Scripture  to  take  with  him  to  learn  and  to 
teach  his  neighbors.  He  proved  a  true  Andrew. 
Several  times  he  returned  within  a  few  months 
bringing  one  or  two  others  with  him  each  time. 
When  finally  a  tour  was  arranged  through  that 
village,  the  missionary  received  an  ovation — men, 
women  and  children  came  forth  to  meet  him! 
Upon  examination  he  found  that  this  man  had 
actually  taught  all — men,  women  and  children — 
the  truths  he  himself  had  learned.  Because  there 
was  no  teacher  to  put  in  charge  of  the  village  he 
could  not  baptize  them,  but  later,  on  a  day  ap- 
pointed, he  visited  the  village  again  and  received 
them  into  the  church  by  baptism. 


240  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

On  New  Year's  day,  1898,  while  returning  to 
Vinukonda,  Kinsinger  fell  from  his  horse  in 
crossing  a  vagu  full  of  water.  He  was  thor- 
oughly wet  and  chilled,  but  rode  on  into  Vinu- 
konda. A  chill  followed  while  he  was  holding  a 
village  meeting,  from  which  he  did  not  fully  re- 
cover, but  thought  nothing  of  it  until,  late  in 
February,  he  suffered  a  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs. 
Upon  consulting  a  physician  he  was  informed 
that  one  lung  had  collapsed  and  that  the  other  was 
in  a  suspicious  condition.  The  physician  ordered 
him  to  lay  aside  all  work  and  to  remain  in  Gun- 
tur  under  medical  care.  Kinsinger  felt  that  he 
was  now  just  ready  for  work  in  the  mission  be- 
cause of  his  acquisition  of  the  language.  To  lay 
aside  was  a  great  disappointment,  relieved  only 
by  the  thought  that  he  could  spend  the  time  be- 
fore the  throne  in  praying  for  the  mission.  "If 
I  cannot  serve  God  and  the  mission  by  working, 
I  can  by  praying,"  he  wrote.  With  the  hot  sea- 
son coming  on,  his  physician  advised  a  trip  to 
some  cooler  climate.  Leaving  Guntur,  not  know- 
ing just  where  he  was  to  go,  God  led  him  stage  by 
stage  of  his  journey,  until  he  came  to  the  beau- 
tiful Island  of  Jaffna,  just  north  of  Ceylon, 
whose  climate  was  softly  tempered  by  the  sea 
breezes  and  very  equable.  Here  he  remained 
from  April  until  October,  and  here  he  found  the 
companionship  of  friendly  missionaries  and 
skilled  medical  care. 

During  these  months  he  was  able  to  continue 
the'  preparation    of    the    Telugu    Sunday   school 


Narasarow- 
pet 


SAMUEL  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER         241 

lesson  helps,  a  work  in  which  he  had  taken  great 
interest. 

In  October,  1898,  Kinsinger  was  permitted  New  field, 
to  return  and  was  assigned  to  the  Narasarowpet 
field.  Though  prevented  by  the  condition  of  his 
health  from  touring,  he  was  able  to  gather  his 
workers  together  for  prayer,  the  study  of  the 
Scriptures,  for  consultation  concerning  the  con- 
dition of  the  field,  and  to  plan  the  work  to  be 
done  by  them.  He  assisted  in  organizing  at 
this  time  an  annual  conference  of  workers. 

His  fight  for  life  and  health  and  further  serv- 
ice on  the  India  field  must  command  the  admira- 
tion of  all  conversant  with  it.  It  was  not  a  bat- 
tle for  life  and  health  alone.  It  was  the  tre- 
mendous struggle  of  a  great  spirit  to  realize  in 
his  life  his  Master's  will.  It  ended  in  a  glorious 
victory. 

When  he  returned  to  take  up  his  work  he 
was  far  from  completely  recovered.  In  the  ear- 
lier period  of  his  affliction  he  had  felt  unable  to 
bow  to  the  Divine  will,  should  God  call  him,  as 
he  feared  he  might,  to  a  long  and  lingering  ill- 
ness. It  was  only  after  wrestling  long  in  prayer 
that  he  finally  could  yield  himself  wholly  to  God 
in  this,  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  when  he  had 
thus  surrendered,  the  more  severe  and  danger- 
ous features  of  his  illness  passed  away.  But 
when  he  had  returned  to  the  field,  another  temp- 
tation tried  his  soul.  He  was  still  far  from  well. 
Fever  clung  to  him  and  he  could  not  completely 
rid  himself  of  it.  Compelled  to  go  to  the  hills 
16 


242  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

and  expecting  relief  there,  a  severer  attack  of 
fever  than  any  he  had  suffered  came  upon  him. 
The  physician  told  him  he  would  not  insure  his 
life  six  months  longer  in  India,  if  the  fever  con- 
tinued. Every  mail  brought  letters  from  home 
urging  him  to  come  back  to  America.  The  Board 
had  arranged  for  it  and  even  ordered  it.  Fel- 
low-missionaries urged  him  to  return.  But  he 
believed  that  if  he  should  return  he  would  never 
be  permitted  to  come  back  to  the  India  work.  He 
preferred,  as  he  said,  to  die  at  his  post  if  neces- 
sary. Finally,  when  this  last  and  severest  attack 
came,  Kinsinger  said :  "Well,  I  have  held  out 
long  enough.  If  it  please  thee,  dear  Lord,  I  am 
Ready  to  ready  to  go  home."  He  began  to  plan  the  jour- 
go  home  ney ;  but,  in  a  day  or  two,  all  symptoms  of  the 
fever  had  left  him  and  he  soon  felt  better  than 
for  years,  save  for  a  lingering  pain  in  the  chest. 
He  then  sought  and  was  granted  the  privilege  of 
remaining  in  India  six  months  longer  at  a  re- 
duced salary,  to  test  his  ability  to  stand  the  cli- 
mate. Slowly,  but  surely  he  fought  his  way  back 
to  health  again.  After  great  and  patient  care, 
faithful  physical  exercise,  and  large  dependence 
upon  the  power  of  God,  the  physician  could  pro- 
nounce him  sound.  He  seemed  just  ready  for  a 
great  life-work.  Had  he  not  at  last  conquered 
self  in  utter  surrender  to  the  will  of  God? 

Dr.  Baer  writes  of  this  period :  "He  came 
back  to  us  again  as  one  restored  and  again 
plunged  into  the  work,  with  his  great  soul  chas- 


SAMUEL  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER         243 

tened  by  his  enforced  vacation,  and  his  mind 
bent  on  doing  all  he  could  to  redeem  the  time 
which  disease  had  stolen  from  his  working  days. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  first  conference  when 
he  returned  to  us  after  that  long  stay  in  Ceylon 
where  he  found  health  again.  What  an  inspira- 
tion he  was  to  us  all !  He  seemed  to  see  further 
than  anyone  else,  and  as  a  prophet  carried  things 
that  day.  He  seemed  to  be  coming  into  his  in- 
heritance, to  be  about  to  become  a  mighty  force 
among  us." 

When  Kinsinger  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Third 
Boys'  Boarding  School  and  the  Telugu  congrega-  appointment 
tion  at  Guntur,  in  the  early  spring  of  1900,  he 
was  able  to  do  his  full  share  of  work.  His 
heart  was  buoyant  with  the  expectation  of  many 
years  of  service.  His  general  cheerfulness  was 
in  marked  contrast  to  an  often  ill-concealed  de- 
pression of  the  previous  year.  But  at  the  very 
outset  of  what  promised  to  be  a  missionary 
career  of  great  usefulness,  he  was  again  struck 
down. 

The  text  of  his  last  sermon  to  his  Telugu  con-  Last  sermon 
gregation  at  Guntur  was,  "The  harvest  truly  is 
great,  but  the  laborers  are  few;  pray  ye  there- 
fore the  Lord  of  the  harvest  that  He  would  send 
forth  laborers  into  His  harvest."  That  after- 
noon, while  attending  another  service,  he  was 
stricken  with  acute  pains,  which  the  physicians 
diagnosed  as  appendicitis,  and  he  was  hurried  to 
the  hospital  at  Madras  for  an  operation  as  the 


244  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

only  means  of  saving  his  life.  The  long  and 
wearisome  journey  was  accompanied  with  grow- 
ing weakness,  and,  despite  all  that  loving  hands 
could  do,  he  was  in  a  collapsed  condition  when  he 
reached  the  hospital.  At  an  early  hour  of  July 
26th,  1900,  the  end  of  earth  came  peacefully  and 
the  joys  of  heaven  opened  to  his  spirit. 

The  end  That  evening  faithful  friends  accompanied  his 

body  back  to  the  mission  at  Guntur,  where  all  the 
missionaries  awaited  their  arrival,  together  with 
a  multitude  of  the  native  people  who  came  from 
motives  of  respect  and  love.  A  great  crowd  wit- 
nessed his  interment  in  Guntur;  Christians, 
Hindus,  Mohammedans,  Parsees,  all  were  there. 
His  remains  were  laid  to  rest  according  to  a  de- 
sire expressed  some  time  before,  not  with  those 
of  Gunn  and  Snyder,  Nichols  and  Rowe,  but 
alone  of  his  race,  in  the  little  Christian  cemetery 
of  his  native  brethren  for  whom  he  had  given  the 
last  full  measure  of  devotion. 

The  heartbroken  native  Christian,  after  laying 
away  his  beloved  dead,  often  turns  to  Kinsinger's 
grave  and  finds  comfort  in  the  fact  that  one  who 
came  so  far  to  point  out  the  path  of  life  to  him 
lies  also  in  the  same  acre  to  await  the  resurrec- 
tion trumpet. 

His  last  will  Upon  his  death  it  was  learned  that  he  had 
bequeathed  his  life  insurance  of  $2,000.00,  after 
a  few  incidental  expenses  had  been  met,  to  the 
establishment  of  a  new  station.  Having  erected 
a  modest  stone  above  his  grave,  bearing  the  in- 


SAMUEL  CHRISTIAN  KINSINGER         245 

scription  in  the  Telugu,  according  to  his  request, 
"Jesus  is  mighty  to  save,"  his  name,  date  of 
birth  and  death,  the  proceeds  were  used  as  he 
had  willed.  The  mission  station  for  which  he 
prayed  and  labored  in  his  life  has  been  estab- 
lished at  Chirala.  The  bungalow  erected  there  is 
called  the  Kinsinger  Memorial.  It  is  hoped  that 
soon  a  modest  yet  substantial  church  may  also 
rise  upon  those  Chirala  sands.  But  his  true 
memorial  lies  in  the  hearts  of  the  many  touched 
by  his  wonderful  spiritual  influence. 

Short  as  his  life  was  and  hampered  by  illness,  a  fellow- 
wherever  it  touched  men  it  left  an  impress  that  missionary's 

tribute 

they  could  not  soon  forget.  To  this  influence  and 
its  source,  Dr.  J.  H.  Harpster  alludes  in  a  letter : 
"He  left  behind  him  here  a  memory  redolent  and 
sweet,  the  memory  of  a  man  the  like  of  whom  for 
gentleness,  for  sweetness  of  disposition,  for  gen- 
eral lovableness  of  character,  one  does  not  often 
meet.  There  passed  from  among  us,  on  the 
threshold  of  his  missionary  career,  one  of  the 
most  devoted  Christian  missionaries  that  ever 
came  over  to  this  India  Mission.  His  dedication 
of  himself  to  the  cause  of  Christian  India  was 
utter.  Having  put  his  hand  to  the  plow  he  never 
gave  even  a  glance  backward.  In  heart,  mind 
and  soul  he  utterly  expatriated  himself  from  the 
land  of  his  birth  that,  living  or  dying,  he  might 
give  himself  to  India." 

So  Samuel  Christian  Kinsinger  lived  and  died. 
We   fain  would  have  detained  him  on  earthly 


246  MISSIONARY  HEROES 

fields  of  service,  but  as  Florence  Nightingale 
said  of  David  Livingstone,  "If  God  took  him  it 
was  that  his  life  was  completed  in  God's  sight." 

"He  fell  foeward,  as  fits  a  man, 
But    the    high    soul    burns    on,    to    light    men's    feet 
To  noble  deeds  that  make  the  dying  sweet." 


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